Why Sandro Tonali’s odd bid is bad news for Tottenham

Tottenham have been the busiest club in the summer transfer window so far and have now submitted a new bid for top scorer Sandro Tonali.

The Lilywhites have already completed a number of deals this summer, with Martin Dubravka becoming their fourth signing this week in a move that will pave the way for Antonin Kinsky to become first-choice goalkeeper, while Guglielmo Vicario is expected to leave.

Tottenham have also stepped up their pursuit of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who will face Manchester United.

Spurs are keen to secure the services of the 21-year-old and confidence is growing that a deal can be done with West Ham.

A total package of £85million is likely to satisfy the Hammers, who sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham last July after a long period without doing business with their London rivals.

Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has defended the club’s strict recruitment practices and vowed to sign Roberto De Zerbi this summer.

ENIC have already seen a £75m bid for Tonali rejected by Newcastle, who are facing a difficult summer for the Sharks who are circling several of their top stars, having already seen Anthony Gordon leave Barcelona.

The Magpies want £100m for Tonali while resisting Arsenal’s advances for Bruno Guimaraes, while Spurs have now made a stunning new bid.

Tottenham have submitted an unusual second bid for Tonali

Indeed, according to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Spurs have sent a fresh bid to Newcastle in another attempt to get Tonali to sign their new record deal.

The weird part is though – the money involved is exactly the same as the original bid.

Themba says that De Zerbi sent the same request and asked Newcastle to reconsider, but it was rejected again.

The Magpies’ demand remains at £100m, and Hope reports that none of the suitors have ‘presented a package they would consider acceptable’.

FFC verdict: Spurs unlikely to reach the £100m mark

Honesty: Craig Hope is considered the most reliable of Newcastle transfer rumours. He has covered football in the North East for over a decade, working for the Daily Mail throughout that time.

Hope was one of the top sources of information during Liverpool’s move for Alexander Isak, providing regular quotes and updates directly from Eddie Howe.

Fit: Tonali’s fit under De Zerbi is clear, given their Italian connection and the manager’s focus on possession-based play.

De Zerbi relied heavily on Pascal Gross during his time at Brighton, a struggling but technically gifted midfielder, and Tonali could do the same for his new Spurs side, averaging over one and one key pass per game for Newcastle last season, contributing both on and off the ball.

Costs: Anything over a reported £75m bid would quickly make Spurs a new 5-star record out of 11.

Already on £120,000-a-week on Tyneside and likely to receive a hefty salary to move to London, the total cost of signing the Italy international would be huge.

Opportunities: With Tonali not wanting to stay in Newcastle – his agents have made it clear to the Magpies that he intends to leave – the bids are not surprising.

Whether Tottenham will hit the £100m price tag is another matter though, and the fact that they were even willing to take a chance on a ‘please reconsider’ offer for £75m doesn’t bode well for their chances of adding an extra £25m to that figure.

Newcastle’s demands will be even tougher, and Arsenal’s pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes is likely to make them play even harder.

So it could turn into a race between the two North London clubs to reach an agreement on their target, as the Magpies will seek King’s ransom after losing a key player in that position.

Impact: Tonali’s arrival could be good news for Xavi Simons, who has struggled during his first campaign in the Premier League.

The Dutchman found some form before suffering a serious injury, and returning from that to play in front of a field that combines more grit and technical quality will allow him more freedom to work his magic in the final third.