Tottenham have reached an agreement to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United in a deal that could become a club record. The Italy midfielder will command an initial fee of £92.5m, potentially rising to £100m should Spurs achieve repeated Champions League qualification.
Tonali, 26, has agreed personal terms on a six-year contract worth at least £275,000 per week. Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi is believed to have told the player he intends to rebuild his midfield around him, and Tonali is said to be enthused by both the project and the opportunity to live in London.
Newcastle’s financial necessity
The sale highlights the financial pressures facing Newcastle despite their Saudi Arabian ownership. The club must sell players to comply with European and domestic spending rules, having already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and lost Alexander Isak to Liverpool.
Tonali arrived at St James’ Park from AC Milan for £55m in the summer of 2023 but served a 10-month suspension for breaching betting rules. He returned in August 2024 and established himself as a key figure under Eddie Howe, helping the club lift the 2025 Carabao Cup and secure Champions League qualification. However, his form dipped as the season progressed and Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League.
Howe’s squad is breaking up rapidly. Bruno Guimarães, Tonali’s midfield partner, remains a target for Arsenal, and the club is exploring replacements including Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi and Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Touré.
Spurs overhaul continues
The capture of Tonali follows Tottenham’s £85m acquisition of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham earlier this week. De Zerbi, who took charge with the club having finished 17th last season, has also signed Andy Robertson and Marco Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth, plus Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for £52m.
In a related deal, Spurs have agreed to sell centre-back Luka Vuskovic to Brighton for an initial £46m plus £4m in add-ons. The 19-year-old Croatian, signed from Hajduk Split last summer for £10m, never played for Tottenham after spending last season on loan at Hamburg. The agreement includes a 20% sell-on clause and matching rights should Brighton sell the defender in future.
Subject to medical checks and final formalities, Tonali’s transfer will eclipse Tottenham’s previous record signing as De Zerbi seeks to return the club to the top six.