Tottenham Hotspur have entered the contest for Sandro Tonali, placing themselves alongside Manchester City and Arsenal in the pursuit of Newcastle United’s Italian midfielder. Roberto de Zerbi, the Spurs manager, has long admired Tonali — he identified the player as a target during his own time at Sassuolo, when Tonali was still in Serie A. Now, several years on, Spurs have begun examining the financial feasibility of a deal for the 26-year-old, though no club has yet made a formal approach.
Newcastle, however, are in no rush to sell. Chief executive David Hopkinson has made clear the club will only trade players on “our terms”. That stance is reinforced by Tonali’s contract situation: effectively tied to St James’ Park until 2030, after he signed a new deal during his 10-month betting ban as a gesture of gratitude for the club’s support. Newcastle have already sold forward Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69.3m, but the midfielder market is heating up. Nottingham Forest recently rejected a second offer worth around £120m from Manchester City for Elliot Anderson, while relegated West Ham want up to £80m for Mateus Fernandes — a player desperate to join Manchester United, who are expected to table an opening offer well below that valuation.
“Tottenham join Manchester City and Arsenal in race for Newcastle's Sandro Tonali as Newcastle face a potential £100m decision.”
Spurs, meanwhile, have financial muscle. Though Newcastle have finished above them in the Premier League in three of the last four seasons, the London club generated £230m more in revenue in their most recent accounts. That headroom is prompting a shift in strategy. In an interview with BBC Sport in May, Spurs chief executive Vinai Venkatesham confirmed the club needed “experience, leadership and also that kind of physical robustness” — qualities Tonali embodies. In 2024-25, his best league campaign for Newcastle, the midfielder won possession back 109 times, made 34 interceptions and applied 1,308 high pressure movements. Even the usually measured Eddie Howe once said he “fell in love” with the all-rounder when he first watched him play.
Howe would ideally keep Tonali, alongside other stars like Alexander Isak — who joined Liverpool for a British record £125m last summer — but Newcastle are having to become better sellers as part of a rebuild. If a huge offer of up to £100m arrives from one of Tonali’s suitors, the temptation to cash in on a player whose form has noticeably dipped may prove strong. At this early stage of the window, that remains a big if.