Tottenham Hotspur appear to be leading the race to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, but Roberto De Zerbi faces strong competition for his fellow countryman’s signature.
Tottenham Hotspur face strong competition in the race to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United. The Magpies star has recently been linked with a move to north London as Roberto De Zerbi and Mikel Arteta both look to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
Last season, Tonali, who will enter the final two years of his contract next month, featured 53 times across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing seven assists. Despite his best efforts, Eddie Howe’s side failed to qualify for either of UEFA’s three club competitions.
Not only did Newcastle finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table, but they were also unable to defend the Carabao Cup title. The Italy international looked ready to jump ship at the halfway mark, but a deal never materialised.
The Newcastle boss later insisted that Tonali remains ‘committed’ to the project in Tyneside. Earlier this year, Howe said: “There’s certainly no intention from our side to lose Sandro at all.
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“He’s such an integral player to what were doing. I think he’s very happy here. He loves playing for Newcastle and loves representing the city.”
Fast forward six months and the 26-year-old faces an uncertain future again, with Spurs monitoring his situation. So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up everything you need to know about Tonali and a potential transfer to Tottenham this summer.
Tottenham talks as Newcastle set Tonali price tag
According to The Times, Tottenham have held talks with Tonali’s representatives ahead of a potential transfer this summer. The report claims that Newcastle values the midfielder at £100million, which is just over twice what they paid to prise Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig last summer, who was a club-record signing.
It’s said that De Zerbi wants Spurs to make a statement signing, so Tonali, who’s been offered to several clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United, has been identified as a target. The Times add that the Magpies have accepted that they may need to cash in this summer, but want to make a profit on the £61m they paid AC Milan in the summer of 2023.
Tottenham burst onto the scene
On Monday evening, Fabrizio Romano first reported that Tottenham had joined Manchester City and Arsenal in the race to sign Tonali. The journalist claimed Spurs identified the midfielder as the ‘ideal’ candidate to help them climb the Premier League after back-to-back relegation scares.
The Athletic later claimed that the sale of Tonali ‘remains possible’, but the Magpies hadn’t received any ‘concrete offers’. They also outlined that Newcastle would demand a ‘high fee’ for the Italian, whose situation is currently being monitored by ‘multiple elite clubs’ in the Premier League, including Arsenal.
Tonali’s agent sparks speculation
Speaking to Sky Sports in April, Tonali was quizzed on his future at St. James’ Park. He said: “In football, if you play well, you have to deal with the transfer rumours, but if you concentrate 100 per cent on your game, and you’re happy, you don’t have to think about anything or speak about anything.”
A couple of weeks earlier, his agent had suggested that he would be open to a fresh start. When asked about the move to Newcastle during an interview with Italian outlet Calcio & Finanza, Giuseppe Riso said: “The deal came about because a club like Newcastle with unlimited financial resources had decided to invest in Sandro. We considered the idea of having the player play in a higher-level league.”
On a potential move to Arsenal or Manchester City, Riso said: “Exactly, that was the goal from the moment he went to England – to try to make him a star player. I think he’s the Italian footballer with one of the highest values in the world.”
Tonali entourage arrange Newcastle talks
In February, Riso revealed that he and Tonali plan to meet with Newcastle higher-ups at the end of the season to resolve his future. As quoted by ChronicleLive, the midfielder’s agent said: “These transfer discussions will take place later. We’ll see how the season ends, and then we’ll decide what to do.
“There’s no preference at the moment. It’s still early. What we’re saying today won’t apply tomorrow. Newcastle couldn’t let him go now, and there’s no point in moving, especially since Sandro is very attached to the club. We’ll evaluate and decide what to do in the summer.”
