Gabriel Agbonlahor has accused Sandro Tonali of coming to Tottenham for the wrong reasons and of lying in his interview as a Spurs player.
When rumours about Spurs’ interest in Tonali first came to light earlier this summer, Agbonlahor was one of many pundits to dismiss it out of hand.
The former Aston Villa man mocked Tottenham as a ‘top 17 club’ and questioned why the Italy international midfielder would want to go to a side that was almost relegated from the Premier League.
However, he has now changed his tune after the Lilywhites shattered their transfer record to bring the 26-year-old through the door in a £100m deal.
Gabriel Agbonlahor claims Sandro Tonali joined Tottenham for the money
In his first interview as a Spurs player, Tonali admitted that he cannot wait to play his first home game for Tottenham, admitting that he has been impressed by the atmosphere every time he has played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, Agbonlahor did not buy the former Milan star’s statement, insisting that his only motivation to swap Newcastle for Spurs is financial.
Reacting to Tonali’s comments, the pundit told talkSPORT: “Atmosphere? Do me a favour! Don’t make me laugh. I went to the game last season, Spurs against Aston Villa. The quietest stadium I’ve probably ever been to. Zero atmosphere.
“You’ve [Tonali] gone for the big bucks; you’ve gone for the money that Newcastle probably wouldn’t give you. To leave Newcastle to go to Spurs is a crazy decision. Let’s just call it as it is.”
Agbonlahor says Spurs fans should be concerned about signing mercenaries
The former Villa striker suggested that Tottenham’s other arrivals this summer were also attracted by the big bucks on offer by the North London club.
Agbonlahor suggested that he would not be happy as a Spurs fan to see big-name players coming to the club, simply due to the wages on offer.
The 39-year-old continued: “Senesi, same. You’ve gone there on a free transfer for the money. Andy Robertson, you’ve gone there for the money. So has Tonali for the money. Do me a favour. The stadium.
“One thing I will say: Italian manager in De Zerbi, I’ll give him that. But really, he’s gone for the big, big bucks. Spurs have got money to spend…as a Spurs fan, would I want players coming for the money? That seems to be happening.”