Tottenham have agreed to sign midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United in a deal worth £100million.
Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi has identified Tonali as his top target as part of a rebuilding effort in North London following a second consecutive 17th-place finish in the Premier League.
And, having already secured an £85m deal to sign midfielder Matheus Fernandes from West Ham, Tottenham are now set to add one of the best players in that position in the Premier League, ending Tonali’s three years on Tyneside.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the package will see Tottenham pay a fee of £92.5m to Newcastle, with £7.5m of add-ons taking the deal out of the Magpies’ £100m estimate for the Italy international.
Tottenham get their first goal
Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan for an estimated £55m in 2023 before missing most of his first season due to a 10-month ban for breaking betting rules.
He was linked with Arsenal and Manchester City. However, the chance to play in London for De Zerbi clearly appealed to Tonali, despite the absence of European football at Spurs.
De Zerbi was born in Brescia, where Tonali graduated from school for his first professional career. He played three seasons for Brescia before moving to AC Milan.
His arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marks a major move in the overhaul of a Tottenham side that narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of last season.
Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke have all arrived to strengthen the defence, while former Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has signed as a potential back-up for Antonin Kinsky.
Tonali and Fernandes are expected to form a formidable midfield duo, although there is still reason to doubt the Tottenham forward after the 2025-26 season in which they scored 47 league goals, the 12th most in the Premier League. Attacking midfielder Xavi Simons is likely to miss the majority of the 2026-27 season after tearing his ACL in April.
Newcastle are making another big sale
For Newcastle, Tonali’s sale comes after they allowed England striker Anthony Gordon to join Barcelona in a deal believed to be worth €80million.
Although Tonali’s form in 2025-26 was not up to the level of last season, when he played a major role in Newcastle’s EFL Cup win and Champions League qualification, his departure still leaves a huge hole in midfield, where his work rate will be a huge loss.
The Magpies will hope his exit is the last big exit of the summer, although rumors continue to swirl about club captain Bruno Guimaraes, who has been linked with Arsenal.
While Newcastle fans will be begrudgingly welcome Tonali’s departure given the size of the fee, the sale of Guimaraes will be too much in the eyes of many. As such, the club is expected to make a strong decision if the Premier League champions try to test their determination.
Unlike Tottenham, Newcastle’s business in response to a season below the division, where they finished 12th while reaching the semi-finals of the EFL Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League, is limited.
Newcastle have made an early signing for the services of France Under-21 goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, bringing him in from Reims. However, the Magpies have lost out to Liverpool in the race to sign Spanish striker Victor Munoz, who was widely considered to replace Gordon.
Incoming deals must now be the focus for Newcastle, who visit Tottenham in their second game of the new season on August 29.
