BBC

Newcastle United have rejected a bid from Tottenham Hotspur for midfielder Sandro Tonali.

It is understood an offer worth about £80m was turned down earlier this week.

BBC Sport previously reported Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi was a long-time admirer of Tonali and that the club were exploring the finances of a deal for the 26-year-old Italian.

However, their opening proposal was declined by Newcastle, who are in a strong position to command a greater fee closer to £100m as Manchester City and Arsenal monitor developments.

Newcastle have already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, but the club's chief executive, David Hopkinson, has previously made it clear they will only trade players on "our terms".

Tonali is effectively contracted until 2030 after he signed a new deal during his 10-month betting ban to repay the faith the club showed in him.

The current market might also work in Newcastle's favour, if a bidding war ensues, given the valuations of midfielders elsewhere.

Manchester City had a second bid worth about £120m rejected by Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson, while relegated West Ham want up to £80m for Mateus Fernandes.

There may have been scenes of celebration at full-time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after De Zerbi's side avoided relegation on the final day of the season.

But there was a recognition internally that the club must never find themselves in such a dire position again.

Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham vowed "change is happening" in an interview with BBC Sport in May, and there has certainly been a shift in approach.

Spurs have already spent £52m on defender Jan Paul van Hecke, which would have been an unimaginable prospect once upon a time, given he had just one year left on his contract at Brighton.

They have also looked to capitalise on their revenue by adapting their wage structure, and signed Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers before the window even officially opened.

Although Spurs' opening gambit was unsuccessful, this approach for Tonali also marks a shift for a club who have never spent more than the £65m deal for Dominic Solanke.

However, it was rather telling that the bid was swiftly rejected by Newcastle.

In a week when Newcastle lost out to Liverpool in the race to sign Spain winger Victor Munoz, it would have been damning if Spurs succeeded with their opening bid for Tonali.

It is clearly going to take a great deal more to tempt Newcastle to cash in.

Going into his first full season in charge, Roberto de Zerbi shouldn't be too daunted by Tottenham's opening games.

Of course, much will depend on the club's summer recruitment with regards to how strong the squad is heading into their first run of fixtures.

But there is a willingness internally to invest heavily into the playing squad which, at the very least, bodes well for the start of the season.

On paper, the opening game at Brentford won't daunt De Zerbi or his players - though, under Keith Andrews, the Bees were among the Premier League's most improved teams last season.

After that, supporters will look at the following games against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Everton as winnable.

So, following last season's dreadful Premier League campaign, De Zerbi will surely view his team's start as an opportunity to get some early points on the board - and, of course, garner some early momentum.

Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to register their interest in West Ham's £80m-rated midfielder Mateus Fernandes, with Real Madrid and Manchester United also keen on the 21-year-old Portuguese. (The Athletic - subscription required), external

West Ham are eyeing a move for Sunderland and Haiti striker Wilson Isidor, 25, who helped the Black Cats win promotion to the Premier League in 2024-25. (Football League World), external

Tottenham will kick off their 2026-27 Premier League campaign - a first full season under Roberto de Zerbi - with a trip to Brentford.

The match will take place on Saturday, 22 August at 17:30 BST, with Spurs' first home fixture against Newcastle United on the weekend of 29-30 August.

De Zerbi's side face Bournemouth (H), Brighton (H), Manchester City (A) and Fulham (A) over the Christmas and New Year period.

And they end their league season against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday, 30 May, when all games will kick off at the same time.

Tottenham have completed the £52m signing of Netherlands defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.

The 26-year-old, who had a year left on his contract with the Seagulls, has signed what Spurs have called a "long-term" deal.

The transfer also contains a significant sell-on fee for Brighton should the defender be sold in the future.

"It's a huge honour to become a Spurs player and when you join such a big club, it's a dream come true," Van Hecke said.

He will be joining forces with head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who he played under at Brighton following his move to the Amex Stadium from NAC Breda in 2020.

The move also pairs him with international team-mate Micky van de Ven who he lined up alongside in the Netherlands' World Cup opener against Japan, plus fellow Dutchman Xavi Simons who is currently recovering from an ACL injury.

"I already have a really strong connection with the head coach, who I'm looking forward to working with again. Micky has also told me some great things about the club, so I can't wait to get started."

Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange said the club had been tracking Van Hecke "for a number of years".

Van Hecke made 131 appearances for the Seagulls and started 36 out of 38 Premier League games for Fabian Hurzeler's side last season as they finished eighth. That secured European qualification for only the second time in the club's history.

"Jan Paul is someone I know very well from our time together at Brighton, and I'm delighted to be working with him again," De Zerbi said.

"He is a strong, intelligent centre-back who is brave in possession and plays with personality. Those are important qualities for the way I want our team to set-up."

Tottenham Hotspur fans are more familiar with Luka Vuskovic's Bundesliga goal compilations than how the centre-back defends, but where the 19-year-old will line up next season has already become one of the summer's most intriguing transfer stories.

Vuskovic is yet to play a senior minute for Spurs - having spent last season on loan at Hamburg - but was subject to a bid from Brighton earlier this week that Spurs rejected, and is highly regarded across Europe as well as in the Croatia national team.

"If he stays healthy enough, he will be one of the top superstars for the future, for sure," Romeo Jozak, former technical director of the Croatian Football Federation, tells BBC Sport.

England's World Cup opener against Croatia gave fans an opportunity to watch live for the first time a defender who was shortlisted for the Bundesliga Player of the Season and Rookie of the Season awards last term, also catching the eye with six goals from centre-back.

"Vuskovic is definitely one of those new ones who together with Josko Gvardiol are going to be the continuation of the Croatian national team," adds Jozak.

"Being a defender, you want these stable, John Terrys in the team who are going to be fighters and leaders in the locker room.

"If he ends up there [at Tottenham], I think he will be an asset. Even in the World Cup he is going to get some serious minutes."

Vuskovic, replaced after 66 minutes with Croatia trailing 3-2, started in the middle of a back three between Manchester City's Gvardiol and Ajax's Josip Sutalo.

Harry Kane got a run on the young defender to head England's second from a corner in the first half, while there were questions over his positioning as Jude Bellingham dashed through for the third after the break.

He did, however, record more clearances - five - than any other player on the pitch, while England's Elliot Anderson was the only player to win possession on more than his six occasions.

Bardi, from The Extra Inch - a Spurs podcast

Over the years, the legend of Luka Vuskovic has grown and grown. His prodigious leap and a physique well beyond his age, combined with two successful loan spells, have only added to the hype.

Three years on from his £12m signing, many are ready to kneel before Luka and name him the solution to all our defensive issues without ever having seen him play in the flesh.

Last night in Dallas, Luka had an opportunity to add to that reputation and prove that he is ready, but a chastening opening-game defeat at the hands of players he will be expected to face week in, week out did not go to plan. The legend took a serious hit.

Luka's rise to becoming a major talking point is down to a breakout season in Germany with Hamburg. He took the opportunity with both hands. He finished the season as the top-scoring defender and was named in the 2025-26 Team of the Season.

His success coincided with another disappointing season at N17. As we battled relegation with centre-backs who looked uninterested in the fight, over in Europe Luka was crashing through opposition strikers as though they were made of paper.

His strong performances propelled him into the media limelight, the Croatian national team and the consciousness of every Spurs fan. Suddenly, Luka was viewed as an option, no longer a protege.

What has always made Luka stand out is his frame. It is what gives him the edge in duels and makes him such an asset at set-pieces, but his size comes at a cost. His lack of recovery pace was there for all to see as Jude Bellingham stormed through to slot home England's third. His lack of pace, speed on the turn and mobility are genuine concerns.

Not every defender needs to be as fast as Micky van de Ven, but you need to be able to maximise your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Tottenham, right now, are not in a position to offer him the minutes he needs to grow from being a prospect into a genuine top-level centre-back.

Hopefully, given time to reflect on what happened in Dallas, his team of advisers will make the correct decision. Demanding to start at Spurs when we have already added Marco Senesi and are about to announce Jan Paul van Hecke is not realistic.

Vuskovic remains an exciting prospect, but one in need of playing time and strong guidance on and off the training pitch. The most sensible decision for all parties would be a loan at a Premier League club with a similar style of football.

The hard work and focus needed to turn the legend into reality start now.

Over the years, the legend of Luka Vuskovic has grown and grown. His prodigious leap and a physique well beyond his age, combined with two successful loan spells, have only added to the hype. Three years on from his £12m signing, many are ready to kneel before Luka and name him the solution to all our defensive issues without ever having seen him play in the flesh.

Last night in Dallas, Luka had an opportunity to add to that reputation and prove that he is ready, but a chastening opening-game defeat at the hands of players he will be expected to face week in, week out did not go to plan. The legend took a serious hit.

Luka's rise to becoming a major talking point is down to a breakout season in Germany with Hamburger SV. The Croatian took the opportunity with both hands. He finished the season as the top-scoring defender and was named in the 2025-26 Team of the Season.

His success coincided with another disappointing season at N17. As we battled relegation with centre-backs who looked uninterested in the fight, over in Europe Luka was crashing through opposition strikers as though they were made of paper.

His strong performances propelled him into the media limelight, the Croatian national team and the consciousness of every Spurs fan. Suddenly, Luka was viewed as an option, no longer a protégé.

What has always made Luka stand out is his frame. It is what gives him the edge in duels and makes him such an asset at set-pieces, but his size comes at a cost. His lack of recovery pace was there for all to see as Jude Bellingham stormed through to slot home England's third. His lack of pace, speed on the turn and mobility are genuine concerns.

Not every defender needs to be as fast as Micky van de Ven, but you need to be able to maximise your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Tottenham, right now, are not in a position to offer him the minutes he needs to grow from being a prospect into a genuine top-level centre-back.

Hopefully, given time to reflect on what happened in Dallas, his team of advisers will make the correct decision. Demanding to start at Spurs when we have already added Marco Senesi and are about to announce Jan Paul van Hecke is not realistic.

Vuskovic remains an exciting prospect, but one in need of playing time and strong guidance on and off the training pitch. The most sensible decision for all parties would be a loan at a Premier League club with a similar style of football.

The hard work and focus needed to turn the legend into reality starts now.

Tottenham Hotspur have joined the list of clubs interested in Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.

Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi is a long-time admirer of the Italian and even identified him as a target during his time in charge of Sassuolo, while Tonali was playing in Serie A.

Now, several years on, it is understood Spurs have explored the financials of a deal for the 26-year-old.

Manchester City and Arsenal have also shown an interest, as BBC Sport previously reported, but no club has yet made a formal approach.

Newcastle have already sold forward Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69.3m, but chief executive David Hopkinson has previously made it clear they will only trade players on "our terms".

They are in a strong position as Tonali is effectively contracted until 2030 after the Italian signed a new deal during his 10-month betting ban to repay the faith the club showed in him.

The current market could also work in Newcastle's favour, if a bidding war ensues, given the valuations of midfielders elsewhere.

Nottingham Forest rejected a second offer worth around £120m from Manchester City for Elliot Anderson, while relegated West Ham want up to £80m for Mateus Fernandes.

Newcastle may have finished above Tottenham in the Premier League in three of the last four seasons.

However, Spurs are still a long way clear of Newcastle in the revenue table thanks to substantial off-field income streams, which have offset difficult league campaigns.

In the respective clubs' most recent financial accounts, the Londoners generated £230m more in revenue than Newcastle.

Spurs are now looking to make the most of such headroom by raising their salary ceiling.

In an interview with BBC Sport, in May, the club's chief executive Vinai Venkatesham confirmed the change in approach and said they needed "experience, leadership and also that kind of physical robustness".

Tonali fits this description on his day.

His technical qualities are well-known, but in 2024-25 - his best league campaign for Newcastle - he also tirelessly won possession back in midfield on 109 occasions, made 34 interceptions and applied 1,308 high pressure movements.

No wonder even his usually measured head coach Eddie Howe once said he "fell in love" with this all-rounder when he first watched him play.

Howe would ideally not want to lose players like Tonali, Gordon or Alexander Isak for that matter, who joined Liverpool for a British record £125m last summer.

But Newcastle are having to become better sellers and plan accordingly as part of the club's rebuild.

If a huge offer of up to £100m is eventually made by one of Tonali's suitors, it may be tempting to cash in on a player whose form has noticeably dipped.

However, at this early stage of the window, that remains a big if.

We asked for your views on Tottenham agreeing a £52m deal to sign Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke and how head coach Roberto de Zerbi could go about using the club's depth in defence next season.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Toby: A great move. Two Dutch central defenders reminds me of the two Belgians who provided Spurs a solid platform for glory previously. We fell just short then, but we won't under De Zerbi.

Robert: Van Hecke is a decent player but I would much rather have seen us integrate Luka Vuskovic into the squad and used the money elsewhere. We need another striker and more creativity in midfield, with Xavi Simons out for some time and James Maddison only just back from a serious injury.

Doug: Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin will go. I think De Zerbi may well opt for a back three in some games at least, meaning our main picks will be Van Hecke, Van de Ven and Marcos Senesi. That will leave Kevin Danso and Ben Davies as back-up. Then we need to decide what we do with the rest. I would love to see Vuskovic play for us, he deserves his chance but I don't see him getting it at the minute so he should be loaned out again. Players like Kota Takai and Ashley Phillips should be sold.

Tottenham striker Mason Melia is preparing for the club's pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia.

The 18-year-old, previously a Republic of Ireland youth international, will hope to impress under Roberto de Zerbi after joining Spurs in January amid strong competition from Premier League rivals, including Everton, Manchester City and Chelsea.

He signed from St Patrick's Athletic for an Irish record £1.6m fee, rising to £3.2m with add-ons, having played nearly 100 senior games before his 18th birthday, including matches in the Uefa Conference League.

However, Melia arrived with a niggling back problem that required treatment over the past six months.

He returned in early April and scored two goals, as well as providing an assist, in the final six under-21 matches of the Spurs academy season.

It remains unclear whether he can break into De Zerbi's plans or if a loan move will be considered later in the transfer window, which closes on 1 September.