Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a string of big money deals this summer and now a Newcastle midfielder is in their sights
“We are investing in it. You will see more of this in the coming months…We know that actions will speak louder than words.”
Those were the words of Tottenham’s owners, the Lewis family, three days after the north London club’s miserable season came to a close last month with relegation from the Premier League only just avoided by two points on the nerviest of final days. It was a campaign with mistakes littered across every level of the club with the decisions made and those not.
Now comes a summer of fixing Tottenham Hotspur on and off the pitch. Actions will indeed speak louder than words because the Lewis family, through their company ENIC, know that they must convince a sceptical fanbase that has seen very little ambition on the pitch for a quarter of a century.
The new generations of the family must prove that they will bring something different to what came before and in that same statement, the family’s first to Spurs fans, they spoke of “eroded trust and we have to win that back”.
Two things win over supporters of a football club – making the right decisions and spending the required money in the transfer market to compete.
The former must be proved in the months ahead while the latter can only be shown with players putting pen to paper. Tottenham fans have heard too many tales and excuses over the years of who the club tried but failed to sign. Last season alone contained a path scattered in broken transfer dreams.
Now is the time to dare and do. The latest transfer movement comes with a positively-received approach to Sandro Tonali’s camp about signing the 26-year-old Newcastle midfielder.
That is exactly the type of statement signing Spurs need to be making this summer but the job is barely begun. The Roberto De Zerbi factor can be key, with Tonali’s compatriot making it clear to the midfielder’s people how his new-look team will be built around the Italy international.
Tonali came through at De Zerbi’s hometown club Brescia before moving on to AC Milan and then Newcastle. His engine and ability on the ball would allow him to be De Zerbi’s quarterback, able to receive the ball on the edge of the Spurs box, resist the press and fire quick passes between the lines.
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With Arsenal having been offered Tonali earlier this season and their sporting director Andrea Berta said to be a fan, Tottenham will be wary after last summer’s mess with Eberechi Eze of another hijack. De Zerbi can offer Tonali the chance to be the main man at Spurs with a bumper salary within the club’s finally increased wage structure, but the Gunners have Champions League football on the menu as well as the allure that comes with being Premier League champions.
That’s not to mention other clubs like Manchester City, PSG and Real Madrid who have all been credited with an interest in the player in recent months. There will be fears that Spurs’ name is being used to kick one of those big boys into action.
That’s just part of the task though for Tottenham. Newcastle must not be forgotten in all of this. They have not been contacted yet and while there is a growing expectation that Tonali will be sold this summer, the price tag reportedly on his head could be anywhere up to £100million. That would be almost double anything Spurs have previously paid for a player and Newcastle fans will likely be asking themselves after last season’s exploits, ‘why Tottenham?’.
The coming days will show whether it’s just a fanciful idea or something that Tottenham are actually able to push through and it would be the biggest statement of their summer and of their backing for De Zerbi.
Throw in the north London club’s efforts to try to sign the £70million-rated Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Savinho from Manchester City, with the Brazilian reportedly around the £60million mark, and that would represent a near £230million transfer market triple whammy if all valuations were met with De Zerbi also wanting a striker this summer.
On top of that were the free agent captures of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, aided by that improved wage structure, as well as the new contract for Pedro Porro, which placed the Spaniard among the club’s top earners.
The Lewis family are expected to pump more money into the club in the weeks ahead and all eyes will be on how it is spent. There needs to be the ambition shown that has long been lacking. For as was clearly stated and promised, actions will speak louder than words.
