Tottenham Hotspur will have to break the bank to prise Sandro Tonali away from Newcastle United this summer.
In a shock development, it emerged on Monday evening that Tottenham had begun talks over a deal for the Italian midfielder.
The update was carried by several reliable sources, including Fabrizio Romano, who revealed that Roberto De Zerbi was pushing Spurs to land Tonali.
The journalist revealed that the 26-year-old and the Tottenham Hotspur boss share a very good relationship since they are both from Brescia.
Tottenham need to shatter their transfer record to land Sandro Tonali
Romano made it clear that Newcastle will demand top dollar for the former AC Milan man, and The Mirror have now revealed the Magpies’ valuation of the player.
The report claimed that Eddie Howe’s men are demanding close to £100m for Tonali, as the interest in his services grows.
If Spurs were to meet the asking price, the Italy international would comfortably be their record signing, beating out the £65m they paid to land Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth two years ago.
The outlet also backs up what other sources are reporting on the competition for Tonali, revealing that Arsenal and Man City are also exploring a move for the Newcastle man.
Romano, on the other hand, says that a deal could be worth €100 million, which equates to roughly £85 million.
Would a deal for Tonali make financial sense for Spurs?
£100m is a very steep fee, and some Spurs fans may feel the club would be better off spending that amount on a player such as Adam Wharton, who is younger and has a higher ceiling.
However, it appears that Tonali is the midfielder who is at the top of De Zerbi’s wishlist, given the pair’s strong relationship.
Tottenham supporters have called for the club’s hierarchy to back the manager, and the club are seemingly prepared to do just that.
That is also evident from reports that Spurs are also ready to pay £60m for another De Zerbi favourite, Jan Paul van Hecke, even though he has just a year left on his contract with Brighton.