Tottenham have signed Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for a club record £100 million.
The midfielder, expected to earn more than £275,000 per week, was keen to work under Spurs boss and fellow Italian Roberto De Zerbi despite interest from elsewhere, including Manchester City.
This is the second highest transfer fee Newcastle has ever received for a player. The highest was the £125m Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer.
It is the second time in a week that Tottenham have broken their transfer fee record after completing a £85m transfer. Matthew Fernandez At West Ham on Tuesday.
The arrivals of Fernandes and Tonali have pushed the north London club’s spending past the £200m barrier this summer.
Tottenham splash £52m on defender Jan Paul van Heke in brighton Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka All transfers are free.
This marks a major change to the club’s transfer strategy after narrowly escaping relegation on the final day of last season and then finishing 17th in the Premier League.
The deals for Fernandes and Tonali come after Spurs agreed to sell the defender. Luka Buskovic £50 million to Brighton.
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Take a look at Sandro Tonali’s best moments at Newcastle United.
Tonali: Newcastle gave me more than football. It gave me a home.
The Italian midfielder bid farewell to Newcastle in a post on Instagram. “Three years ago I came to Newcastle with no idea what to expect,” he said. “Today it’s time to say goodbye and it’s hard to find the right words.”
“First of all I would like to say thank you to the club. The people I work with every day and see no one at the training ground. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me and made me feel at home from day one. I would like to thank the staff and team-mates who believed in me and helped me grow. A special mention to my manager Eddie who has been a real guide throughout this journey.
“But most of all, I want to speak directly to the fans. When I was having a hard time, you were there. I never felt lonely for a single day. I felt it every time I was at St. James’ Park. It’s something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
“Together we achieved what this city has waited for for decades. That day at Wembley was special. It was a historic moment that we were able to share together. To the fans who never stopped supporting this club even through the most difficult times, that trophy was for you.”
“The game brought me to Newcastle. Today I leave with my wife and son, who were born here. This city has given me more than football. It has given me a home, moments I will cherish forever and people I will always be grateful for.
“Thank you for everything.”
‘Tonali is a proper midfielder – Spurs will have a good season next year.’
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson on Spurs’ summer business:
“Tonali is a very good signing. He is one of my favorite players in the Premier League. He is a decent, proper midfielder.”
“Whenever I watch Tottenham, I always think they are a bit overrun in midfield. They never dominate the game.”
“They all have good centre-backs and forwards when fit, but they have never dominated the midfield and the manager (Roberto De Zerbi) came in and emphasized that and he brought in two very good midfield players.
I expect them to have a good season next year, but it is questionable whether Aston Villa’s performance against Tottenham at the end of last season will return to them. They lost comfortably and probably could have relegated Tottenham with a better result. If they drop down to fourth or fifth place in the race for next season’s Champions League, that game could be a costly opportunity missed.
“But he (De Zerbi) is making very good purchases at the moment.”
What does the Tonali deal mean for Newcastle?
Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has joined Tottenham.
Newcastle signed Tonali from AC Milan in a £55m deal in the summer of 2023 but are now set to earn him £45m.
The club are understood to be attracting a high fee for Tonali and believe they are very likely to reach the full £100m fee.
The feeling is that this will allow the club to strengthen in more than one position with players with high potential.
It is the club’s second biggest sale after the £125m Liverpool paid to sign Alexander Isaac.
And the potential sale is already being felt, with Newcastle agreeing a fee for the winger with Hoffenheim. Bajumana Toure.
They are in preliminary talks with a German club for the Ivory Coast national team, but a deal has not yet been finalized. With all going well, Toure is set to become the first of several new signings.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have made no bid for the Tottenham midfielder. arch Gray, According to sources at both clubs.
Spurs’ transfer transactions to date
Tottenham have signed Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Andy Robertson – Liverpool, free agent
Marcos Senesi – Bournemouth, free agent
Martin Dubravka – Burnley, free agent
Jan Paul van Heke – Brighton, £52m
Matthew Fernandez – West Ham, £85m
Sandro Tonali – Newcastle, £100m
Total transfer cost so far: £237m
How will Tottenham handle this summer?
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Sky Sports’ Michael Bridge says Tottenham Hotspur are spending big as West Ham United’s Matheus Fernandes is expected to complete his £85m medical contract.
Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge:
The biggest change was management’s willingness to spend transfer fees and salaries to compete with top teams. After narrowly missing out on relegation, the message was ‘never again’.
Tottenham have qualified for European football in 17 of the 20 years. They have had one of the lowest wage-to-turnover ratios in the league over the past few years.
They have invested well in the area in terms of land and have built a top-notch stadium. The stadium is arguably one of the best in the world and generates an incredible amount of revenue.
A criticism from Spurs fans in the past has been that they don’t see that money being spent on the stadium.
The commitment from the Lewis family, Vinai Venkatesham and Peter Charrington is that they will do this going forward and use the revenue generated from places like the stadium to improve the first team. This will be a huge help in terms of spending.
There will also be sales this summer, which will be necessary to free up space in the squad for new signings and ensure there are fewer games to compete in after leaving Europe.
Looking at players who could leave, including Lucas Bergval, Luka Buskovic, Christian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr, and Richarlison, Tottenham could save a lot of money.
The Lewis family invested £100m into the club this summer – up to £200m after 2025 – but that was more towards the club’s day-to-day running than transfer spending.
