Tottenham look to step up their efforts to land a Premier League midfielder Roberto De Zerbi is pushing to land. Spurs are in the midst of a big recruitment drive as they look to go from bottom half-dwellers to European qualification candidates in the space of just a few months.
De Zerbi is being firmly backed by the Spurs board as they look to live up to their promises of changes to what has been a failing approach despite a recent Europa League title. It has become clear that this squad is in need of an overhaul, and it looks as though De Zerbi will get the opportunity to lead it.
A number of targets have been linked with Spurs as they look to add to the captures of Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, and it seems one of the more glamorous names may actually be on the table.
Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali in recent days, and it seems they have a credible chance of landing the 'monster' Italian due to a De Zerbi factor.
"Yeah, I see a lot of excitement on social media on this one from Tottenham fans, of course. I maintain my update, my news," Fabrizio Romano reported on his YouTube channel. "So, first of all, Tottenham are in conversations with Sandro Tonali's camp. Second, Sandro Tonali wants to go to Tottenham, and so he's keen on the move, and I don't think it's going to be any problem with the player financially or in terms of contract. Also, because the connection with the De Zerbi is very clear, as I was mentioning in a video yesterday, they are both from Brescia, so the connection is very, very good. And also important to mention on this one about Sandro Tonali, soon Tottenham will reach out to Newcastle to start conversations. Then the price is going to be the point.
"Let's see, I think this is going to be around €100million (£86.6m), maybe something more than the initial request. And then let's see the conversation, but De Zerbi is pushing, and so let's wait for the club-to-club negotiations. But Tottenham are interested."
Tonali the next Pirlo
Spurs are looking for a midfielder who can control the ball and the tempo of the game, and according to Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, Tonali has those metronomic qualities. He said back in 2024: "When I first saw Sandro play, there were definite links to Pirlo, without a doubt - and it's not just the hair. There's more to it than that. He's definitely got those similar qualities in terms of build and style, but I think the thing that sets Sandro apart from anyone else was he could do all of those things technically and tactically, and looked really good, but it's his athleticism as well, his ability to run.
"We've seen that in recent games from a defensive viewpoint now more than an attacking viewpoint, where he's sprinting to put out fires for us, nicking balls, intercepting balls, using his athleticism to track runners. He's been excellent in that respect and think that's really helped the team. Yes, there are the obvious ones [comparisons] in terms of his technique and his passing and everything else, but I think that's the thing that sets him apart."