Sandro Tonali has spoken about the pressure that comes with being Tottenham Hotspur’s first £100m signing and revealed what his focus is on ahead of his new challenge in North London.
Not only did Tottenham shatter their transfer record to sign the 26-year-old midfielder, but they also shattered their wage ceiling to get him through the door.
According to reports, Tonali is on a £250k per week contract at Spurs, making the Italian comfortably the highest-paid player at the club.
His signing is a statement of ambition from the Lilywhites hierarchy, but the newcomer has big pressure on his shoulders to deliver and prove that the North Londoners were right to bet big on him.
Sandro Tonali insists he will think like ‘a normal Tottenham player’ despite huge price tag
Tonali has become just the ninth Premier League signing to cost £100m, and one of three so far this summer, with Morgan Rodgers and Elliot Anderson also moving for nine figures.
While the midfielder acknowledges that the price tag comes with pressure, he insisted that he will not think of himself as being any different to the other players in the Tottenham squad.
When asked how it feels to join the £100m club, Tonali told Football.London: “I don’t know! It’s pre-season. If I was another player, sometimes it’s tough, sometimes the pressure is different, but you have to understand that this is football. The price is different now to 10 years ago. I know I have a lot of pressure but I know I’m a football player, I know my responsibilities, I know this team, I know the people here.
“I have to play like I’m a normal player, a normal Tottenham player, with passion, putting my energy in everyday. If you put this into the pitch every day, it’s different, it’s not £1million, £10million, or £100million. You just have to be a passionate player for this gaffer. Put everything on to the pitch.”
Tonali says Spurs have a big opportunity with just one game a week
While the former Newcastle man was not part of the club’s disastrous 2025-26 campaign, he admitted that there is a determination at Tottenham to put things right after what transpired last season.
The 26-year-old insisted that the squad are fully focused on delivering their best every game, and believes they have a great opportunity to do so, given that they are not in Europe.
Tonali added: “It is important now for us, for now, for the future, to stay all together because we know it was a tough, tough, tough, tough season. Every game is difficult. This season, we have to put our happiness, concentration, everything over 100 per cent to make the difference in every second to win every game.
“We will play one game a week; this is a little better, especially when you arrive in December and January. We have to play our best football and try to win every game.”