Tottenham's Ambitious Move for Sandro Tonali
Tottenham are preparing an audacious move for Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali this summer, with Roberto De Zerbi pushing hard to make the Italy international the heartbeat of his rebuilt side.
For Spurs, this is not just another name on a long transfer list. This is the statement signing De Zerbi wants to build his football around.
De Zerbi’s conductor
De Zerbi walked through the door at Tottenham with a clear brief: keep the club in the Premier League, then reshape it. He delivered survival. Now comes the part he truly relishes – sculpting a team in his image.
At the centre of that vision sits a specific profile: a midfielder who can dictate the rhythm of a game, take the ball under pressure, and bend the tempo to his will. Tonali fits that description almost perfectly. Technically sharp, tactically disciplined, aggressive without the ball and calm with it, he is exactly the kind of player De Zerbi trusts to run matches from deep.
Inside the club, there is no doubt about how much sway the Italian head coach holds over recruitment this summer. A serious move for Tonali would be a loud, public signal that Spurs intend to back him not just with words, but with heavy investment.
Newcastle’s hard line
There is a problem. Newcastle do not want to sell.
Tonali is tied to St James’ Park until 2029, having signed a new contract in 2024 while serving a 10‑month gambling ban. That deal contains no release clause, a crucial detail that hands Newcastle a powerful position at the negotiating table.
Any club wanting him will have to pay a huge fee. Not “big for context of the window” – genuinely huge.
Inside the game, there has long been an understanding that Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento could be open to a fresh challenge this summer. That idea has already taken shape in one case: Gordon has gone, prised away by Barcelona in a £69m move. Newcastle know there is interest in Tonali on a similar level, but they will not be bounced into a sale.
They can also point to the market around them. Midfielders are trading at a premium, and Newcastle are under no pressure to cash in quickly.
A market distorted
Tonali is not just on Tottenham’s radar. He has sat high on the lists of Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United as one of the Premier League’s outstanding midfielders.
Right now, though, the landscape is shifting.
City and United have turned their attention elsewhere. City are in talks with Nottingham Forest over Elliot Anderson in a deal expected to soar beyond £100m, a number that will echo around every negotiation for a top midfielder this summer. United, for their part, have agreed a deal for Ederson with Atalanta and are now working on a move for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.
Those choices clear some room for Spurs. With the Manchester clubs temporarily occupied, Tottenham sense an opening – but they also know every big fee paid elsewhere only strengthens Newcastle’s argument when they name their price.
Spurs’ rebuild gathers pace
Tottenham are not waiting around in other areas. The rebuild has already started.
They have moved quickly to add defensive steel and experience, bringing in centre-back Marcos Senesi and left-back Andy Robertson on free transfers. De Zerbi still wants another defender and Spurs are pursuing Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke, a player they see as fitting both the physical and technical demands of the new regime.
Brighton, in turn, have tested Tottenham’s resolve. A £30m bid has gone in for teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who shone on loan at Hamburg and is widely regarded as one of Europe’s top young defenders. The 19-year-old is keen on the switch to the south coast, but Spurs are unlikely to accept the current offer. They know what they have – and they know how rare that profile is.
Amid all of this, the central plank of the project remains unchanged: build a side capable of playing De Zerbi’s intricate, possession-heavy, high-risk football. For that, the right central midfielder is non-negotiable. Tonali is the preferred answer.
Life after Son, questions in goal
There are more fires to fight.
Tottenham have been searching for a winger to succeed Heung-Min Son for a year and keep running into brick walls. Bids and approaches for Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo went nowhere. The search continues, and Man City’s Savinho is among the names under consideration as they look for pace, directness and end product on the flanks.
De Zerbi also wants another striker – not just a penalty-box poacher, but a forward capable of operating across the entire front line. Injuries shredded Spurs’ options last season, and the head coach is determined not to be left exposed again if the treatment room fills up.
Even the goalkeeping position is not settled. Guglielmo Vicario could return to Italy, with Juventus monitoring him as they weigh up their own plans. Inter previously showed interest as well. Should Vicario leave, Spurs will be forced back into the market for another No 1, despite Antonin Kinsky impressing enough to hold the shirt for the run-in under De Zerbi.
A test of intent
All roads, though, keep leading back to midfield. To control. To identity. To Tonali.
Tottenham want to sign one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders, a player other giants have circled, from a club that does not need to sell and has him locked down until 2029.
If Spurs find a way to pull this off, it will not just reshape their midfield. It will tell the rest of the league that under De Zerbi, they are ready to sit at the top table again – and pay the price to stay there.
