Tottenham's Ambitious £185m Midfield Rebuild with Tonali and Fernandes
Tottenham Hotspur have already ripped up the script for this summer. Four major signings are through the door, Roberto De Zerbi has his first wave of reinforcements, and yet the club’s most dramatic move may still be to come.
The next target is clear: a new-look midfield built around Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Tonali chase turns into full-scale saga
Spurs have tested Newcastle United’s resolve with an £80m offer for Tonali, a bid Sky Sports reported on June 20 and one that was swiftly rejected. Newcastle want more. A lot more. TEAMtalk report that the asking price for the Italy international stands at a minimum of £100m.
Most clubs would step back at that point. Tottenham have not.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano insists the north London club remain firmly in the race and are actively working on a deal for the former AC Milan midfielder. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano doubled down on his original line: this is Tottenham’s move, not a scramble involving half of Europe.
He made it plain that, from his side, no other clubs are currently in the frame. The focus, as he tells it, is Tottenham and Tonali – and that “the deal is on”, even with Newcastle holding out for a nine-figure fee.
If Spurs are serious, they know the scale of the commitment. Tonali would not just be another signing; he would be the financial and tactical centrepiece of De Zerbi’s midfield.
Fernandes pursuit raises the stakes
Tonali alone would be a statement. Tottenham are trying to go one step further.
Romano also reports that Spurs want Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United in the same window. The Portugal international has emerged as one of the most coveted midfielders on the market, with Manchester United also pushing hard despite already bringing in Ederson from Atalanta.
West Ham’s stance is straightforward: they will accept the best proposal. The decision after that will rest with Fernandes himself. Romano has consistently stated that the Hammers want £85m for the 22-year-old, a fee that, when combined with Tonali’s price, would take Tottenham’s potential outlay on the pair to around £185m.
Behind the scenes, as Romano describes it, both Tottenham and Manchester United are in direct contact with the player’s camp. Talks are active, the story live. Spurs are “pushing to close”, but United remain in the conversation and ready to fight this one to the wire.
De Zerbi’s new engine room – or a brutal reality check?
Tottenham have already secured Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka to strengthen De Zerbi’s squad. Those deals alone would represent a busy, well-structured window.
This, though, is different. Tonali and Fernandes would rip up the scale of Tottenham’s recent transfer history and reshape the spine of De Zerbi’s side in one hit. It is bold. It is expensive. It is exactly the kind of move that signals a club intent on crashing the Premier League’s established order.
The numbers are huge, the competition is real, and the negotiations are complex. But if Spurs land even one of these targets, their midfield looks transformed. If they somehow land both, the entire outlook of their season changes overnight.
