Tottenham agree club-record deal for Sandro Tonali, reports say

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a club-record deal to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali for £100 million, according to several British media reports carried on Wednesday.

Spurs are set to pay an initial £92.5 million, with a further £7.5 million in add-ons, for the 26-year-old Italy international. The move would hand Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi a major target despite reported interest from Premier League champions Arsenal and Manchester City.

Tonali's expected arrival would further reshape Tottenham's midfield after the club agreed a deal on Tuesday to bring Mateus Fernandes from West Ham. That transfer is reported to be worth £85 million.

The latest move points to a significant change in approach at Spurs after a period in which the club operated under a tight wage structure during Daniel Levy's time as chairman. Tottenham's majority owners, the Lewis family, pledged to bankroll a rebuild after Levy stepped down in September, and that process has accelerated after De Zerbi guided the club clear of relegation on the final day of last season following a turbulent campaign.

Summer rebuild gathers pace

Tottenham have already added several players during the window. Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka have joined on free transfers, while the club also spent a reported £52 million to sign Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.

If completed, the Tonali transfer would eclipse those outlays and become the biggest fee in the club's history. It would also continue a summer of heavy spending as Spurs push ahead with changes to the squad under De Zerbi.

Tonali's recent disciplinary history

Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July 2023 in a £55 million move. His progress was then interrupted by a 10-month worldwide suspension for gambling on football.

The Italian Football Federation punished him in October 2023 for violating rules that ban players from betting on football events organised by the federation itself, UEFA and FIFA during his time in Italy. By the time the sanction was imposed, Tonali had made 12 appearances for Newcastle.

In May 2024, he was also handed a suspended two-month ban after admitting breaches of the English Football Association's betting regulations.