David Ornstein has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur have now opened talks with Newcastle United over a deal for Sandro Tonali, in what is the biggest development yet in the club’s pursuit of the midfielder.
After Fabrizio Romano first hinted that Tottenham were planning something ambitious in midfield earlier this month, SpursWeb reported that the North London club had entered the race for Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali.
The Italy international is understood to be keen on working under Roberto De Zerbi, who has identified Tonali as one of his priority targets this summer. Given the midfielder’s technical quality, versatility and ability to dictate games from deep, it is easy to understand why De Zerbi is pushing so hard for the move.
Newcastle, however, have made it clear that prising Tonali away from St James’ Park will not come cheap. The Magpies value the former AC Milan man at around £100m and have been reluctant to entertain offers below that figure.
Tottenham make club-to-club contact for Sandro Tonali
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has now revealed that Tottenham have officially opened talks with Newcastle United over a potential deal for Sandro Tonali.
The report states that Spurs are competing with Manchester City for the midfielder’s signature, with club-to-club discussions now underway. The fact that Tottenham have made direct contact with Newcastle is viewed as a significant sign of their determination to get a deal done.
While personal terms have not yet been agreed, The Athletic add that talks with Tonali’s representatives have been positive. Factors such as a lucrative contract offer, De Zerbi‘s influence and the appeal of living in London are all believed to be working in Tottenham’s favour.
The report also reiterates that Newcastle would ideally want around £100m before considering a sale. Tonali still has three years remaining on his current contract, with the club also holding an option to extend it by a further 12 months.
Contrastingly, Sky Sports transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio claims Newcastle’s current asking price stands at around €85m (£74m), while Tottenham have put forward an offer worth approximately €75m (£65m).
Although Newcastle remain in a strong position, there is also an understanding that player sales may be required to help comply with the FFP and squad cost rules, which could eventually make a compromise possible.
Sandro Tonali signing would send a huge message
Everything so far suggests that Tottenham’s hierarchy are serious about delivering on their promise to back Roberto De Zerbi this summer.
Historically, Spurs have not been known for breaking the bank on individual players. Their current transfer record remains the £65m spent on Dominic Solanke last summer, making a deal for Tonali a completely different level of investment.
Should Spurs complete the signing, Tonali would become the club’s fourth arrival of the summer after Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke. Considering the transfer window only opened less than a week ago on June 15, it would represent an extraordinary start to De Zerbi’s first full summer in charge.
Tottenham are also continuing to work on several other targets simultaneously, including Savinho and Mateus Fernandes, with no signs that their recruitment drive is slowing down.