Sandro Tonali made no secret of his desire to leave Newcastle United due to location.
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Sandro Tonali has sensationally admitted that he preferred to return to Italy than join Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle United supporters were stunned when the Italian - who spent 10 months of his St James’ Park career sidelined with a gambling ban - joined Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs finished 17th in the previous two campaigns but it soon became clear that he wanted to live in London.
Tonali ditched Newcastle and headed to Tottenham for £100million last month. He has now risked the ire of Spurs fans by suggesting his first choice was a return to Italy.
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‘We had decided’ - Sandro Tonali
“When you speak with a team, the first impression is a big thing and my impression was very positive,” Tonali said. “When you are happy after a 10-minute chat, it’s everything, everything is perfect.
“We had decided to come back to Italy but it was impossible for the money. England was our solution and we found the best solution in England… I understood after 10, 15 minutes that Tottenham would be my next team.”
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Sandro Tonali makes bold claim
Tonali also claimed that he tried his best to ensure Newcastle received a good end of the deal. He added: “I met there some of the best people for football. They love football. They live for football.
“When I decided to move, I said to my agent and to Ross Wilson that I wanted the best deal for Newcastle because they deserve everything. This is football. Sometimes you have to understand how everything can change in your life in five minutes."
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