Sandro Tonali has completed a record-breaking transfer to Tottenham Hotspur from Newcastle United for an initial £92.5m, a deal that could rise to £100m with add-ons – and the Italian says it was Roberto De Zerbi’s “magic” sales pitch that sealed it.
“I spoke to the head coach for close to two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football. It was like magic because I knew immediately I had to sign for Tottenham,” Tonali said. The move, which includes a six-year contract with wages potentially rising to £275,000 a week if Spurs achieve serial Champions League qualifications, makes Tonali the club’s second record signing in a week – topping the £85m agreement struck with West Ham for midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
“Tonali joins Tottenham for initial £92.5m after De Zerbi's pitch, with wages up to £275k/week.”
De Zerbi has been a long-time admirer of his countryman, having identified Tonali as a target during his time at Sassuolo years ago. The 26-year-old joined Newcastle from AC Milan for £55m in July 2023, only to be hit with a 10-month suspension by the Italian Football Federation for breaching betting rules shortly after his arrival. He returned to help Newcastle win their first major domestic trophy in 70 years – the 2025 Carabao Cup – and played an influential role in qualifying for the Champions League that same season.
In an Instagram post, Tonali thanked Eddie Howe and Newcastle fans: “When things were hard for me, you were there. Not for one day did I feel alone.” De Zerbi is understood to have told Tonali he intends to rebuild his side around him. Manchester City and Arsenal showed interest but made no formal approach, and Tonali and his wife were also keen to relocate to London.
Spurs have had an aggressive start to the window: defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi arrived on free transfers, and the club could end up spending a combined £237m on centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke and midfielders Fernandes and Tonali, despite finishing 17th in back-to-back Premier League seasons. Newcastle, by contrast, have needed to trade to reinvest after also selling Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon – who joined Barcelona for £69.3m – in less than a year. The Magpies have made positive progress on signing Hoffenheim’s 20-year-old Ivory Coast winger Bazoumana Toure, but have so far only signed goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen this summer.