Tottenham have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Sandro Tonali this summer.
Spurs have had a busy start to the summer transfer window, signing three new defenders and bringing in a goalkeeper already and they are not done there.
Head coach Roberto De Zerbi has moved his transfer business further up the pitch, with Tottenham in talks to sign both Tonali and West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
Tottenham have already had an offer in the region of £75million rejected by Newcastle for the Italian and the Lilywhites are preparing to go back in with a new offer for the 26-year-old.
Spurs have already agreed terms with Tonali
Reports have suggested that personal terms will not be an issue, with Tottenham reportedly already agreeing to a £200,000-a-week contract with Tonali.
However, the biggest problem - aside from agreeing a fee with Newcastle - appeared to be the competition Spurs would face in trying to complete a deal.
Manchester City have also been linked with a move for Tonali, although their initial focus was on getting a deal over the line to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
That transfer finally looks set to go through, after City agreed on a £116million move to sign Anderson, with add-ons taking that figure past the British transfer record Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer.
With question marks over the long-term future of Rodri at the Etihad Stadium, City, under new manager Enzo Maresca, will be looking for added reinforcements and Tonali is seen as the perfect candidate, despite the similarly large price tag on his shoulders compared with Anderson.
City are keen to have conversations with Newcastle over a move to sign Tonali, with an offer in the region of £95million being readied by the Citizens, according to Spanish publication Marca.
Man City plot alternative transfer move
However, City may well have turned their attentions elsewhere, due to Spurs' long-standing pursuit of Tonali.
According to the Athletic, City are now looking at making a move to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi, the 18-year-old Moroccan who has been shining at the 2026 World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico so far this summer.
The Athletic report states that "Sandro Tonali is of interest but he has an offer from Tottenham - which is another factor influencing the interest in Bouaddi".
Spurs will be keen to get Tonali to sign on the dotted ine and continue the transfer revolution going on under De Zerbi.