Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of breaking the transfer record for the second time this week, after agreeing a deal with Newcastle United for Sandro Tonali worth upwards of £100m.
Spurs previously had a bid of around £80 million rejected by Newcastle, but are now ready to pay £92.5 million in base sum, plus a further £7.5 million in bonuses.
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BBC Sport has previously reported that manager Roberto De Zerbi has long admired the Italian. He identified his compatriot as a target already during his time as Sassuolo boss several years ago, when Tonali played in Serie A.
Spurs top the £85m deal with West Ham for Mateus Fernandes, to secure Tonali for north London. Manchester City and Arsenal also showed interest, but neither club made formal bids.
The 26-year-old joined Newcastle from AC Milan for £55 million in July 2023. He was banned for ten months by the Italian Football Federation for breaching the rules of the game shortly after his arrival, but returned and helped Newcastle win their first major trophy in 70 years – the Carabao Cup in 2025. He also played a pivotal role in the club’s Champions League qualification later that season.
Newcastle are looking for a replacement for Gordon
At the same time, Newcastle have made positive progress in their pursuit of Hoffenheim’s 20-year-old Ivorian winger Bazoumana Touré. The club have been looking for a replacement for Anthony Gordon, who left for Barcelona for £69.3 million.
Analysis: De Zerbi’s dream becomes reality – Newcastle need reinforcements
De Zerbi couldn’t have been clearer. The Spurs manager had just secured his place on the last day with a 1-0 win over Everton – but this was no time for celebration. He was already looking forward to the summer to ensure that the club never ended up in the same situation again.
“My goal is to start the pre-season with the team of my dreams,” he said in his last press conference last season.
The dream quickly becomes reality for the Italian after an aggressive start from Spurs. Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have arrived on free transfers, and the club could end up spending a combined £237 million on Jan Paul van Hecke, Fernandes and Tonali.
Spurs have finished 17th for two seasons in a row, but are enjoying strong off-pitch income as they look to the future.
Newcastle, on the other hand, will have to sell to buy. The departures of Alexander Isak, Gordon and Tonali in the space of a year are thought-provoking. The focus is now on new players. After failing to sign Victor Munoz (who chose Liverpool), Newcastle are in need of reinforcements – and are now working to complete the Touré deal.
So far, they have only signed 20-year-old goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen – who is unlikely to be the first choice. There is little room for error with pre-season just around the corner.
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