Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, positioning the Italian international as a centerpiece of Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild at the north London club. Newcastle’s asking price of £80-100 million makes this anything but a straightforward deal.

Tonali, 26, has two years remaining on his contract at St James’ Park, which gives Newcastle significant leverage in negotiations. The midfielder joined the Magpies from AC Milan in 2023 for a then-record fee of €70 million, and the club sees no reason to accept anything less than a premium to let him go.

Why Tonali, why now

Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League. The appointment of De Zerbi was meant to signal a new direction, and De Zerbi apparently views Tonali as the linchpin of his midfield reconstruction. De Zerbi knows Tonali’s game from their shared Serie A background, and the coach has reportedly presented a compelling sporting project that has the player genuinely interested.

Tonali is reportedly open to the move despite Tottenham not being able to offer Champions League football.

Newcastle’s position and the competition

Newcastle missed out on European qualification, which changes their calculus entirely. Without European revenue, the financial incentives to cash in on a player valued at £80-100 million become harder to ignore.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus, and AC Milan have all been linked with the midfielder at various points. Manchester United reportedly showed prior interest but cooled off when confronted with Newcastle’s asking price.