Tottenham transfer news: Newcastle reject Tottenham bid for Tonali
Tottenham transfer news: Johan Lange has blinked first, and the answer from Tyneside was a swift, resounding no. Tottenham Hotspur have tested the waters with a massive £75m bid for Sandro Tonali, only for Newcastle United to immediately knock it back. The Daily Mail reports that St James’ Park chiefs are refusing to budge on a firm £100m valuation for the Italian midfielder.
This transfer saga is heating up fast. Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi is the man driving the pursuit, desperate to anchor his north London squad rebuild with the 26-year-old. But the astronomical figures required are looking increasingly unrealistic for the Lilywhites.
To make matters worse, rival clubs are interested. Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal all appreciate Tonali’s qualities, meaning Tottenham face a brutal battle to make further headway. Spurs want a deep-lying orchestrator, yet paying an absolute premium looks incredibly risky given the competition. The former AC Milan player had a decent campaign on Tyneside, but whether his baseline output warrants a record-breaking sum is a major question mark.
Assessing the £100m valuation
Let’s be completely honest. A £100m price tag for Tonali is utter madness.
During the 2025/26 Premier League season, the midfielder made 35 appearances for a struggling Newcastle side. His return? Zero goals. Just two assists. Nine-figure central midfielders need to be transformative, match-winning geniuses. The Italian simply wasn’t that player last term. Newcastle finished above a 17th-placed Tottenham, and their lack of European football forces them to demand silly money to comply with financial fair play rules.
Spurs have cash. The board is reportedly ready to back De Zerbi with a wage package of over £275,000 per week. Blowing the entire summer budget on one underperforming asset is reckless, though. The squad has too many holes.
They should walk away. Better options exist.
Crystal Palace starlet Adam Wharton, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, or Feyenoord prospect Kees Smit offer far greater value. Wharton controls games with superb, progressive passing. Scott drives forward with real energy. Crucially, both would cost half of what Newcastle demands.
Investing £40m to £50m on a younger midfielder allows Levy to distribute the remaining cash across a leaky defence and a toothless strike force. Tonali apparently wants the move to London to play under De Zerbi, but the financial terms make zero sense for a club that barely survived relegation. Spending £75m was already a massive, borderline desperate statement. Walking away now protects Tottenham’s long-term squad building.