NUFC Blog

Sandro Tonali is heading to London to undergo a medical ahead of a £100 million switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

On Wednesday evening, news broke that Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur had reached an agreement over a £92.5 million move for the 26-year-old, which could also see the Magpies net a further £7.5 million depending on Spurs' Champions League qualification.

Stories over a potential move to Spurs had gathered pace in recent weeks, and though other clubs were also sniffing about, it was the North London side who came up with the money first.

Newcastle were adamant that they wanted £100 million for the player they signed for £55 million three years ago, and though Spurs were reluctant to pay that much, the threat of being gazumped by Manchester City was enough to force their hand.

Was Mrs Tonali the architect of this move?

Sandro Tonali has been spotted at Milan airport on his way to London for his medical, and reporters were able to grab a quick word with the Italy international, where he spoke about being ready to make a change.

”I’m very happy to join Tottenham

“It’s simple. We've decided to make a change, so we're ready for this new adventure.

“For sure Roberto de Zerbi has been crucial for me to join Spurs. He played a big role. I can’t wait to work with him”.

"There hasn’t been an opportunity to return to Italy. I would be happy to work with Maldini again”

The use of 'we' in his statement makes us feel that Mrs Tonali was a significant force behind the move. I mean, she did opt to have their child in London.

Italian media are still determined to get him home

Tonali's comments about Paulo Maldini were in response to rumours that the Italian legend is set for a role as technical director with the Italian national side. However, it was telling that he mentioned a return to Italy. Whether that was just a direct response to the question or whether he was actively hoping for an opportunity, we can't be sure.

Tonali had been linked with a return to Italy before the tyres had cooled on the plane that brought him to Newcastle.

Newcastle won't have to wait too long to face Tonali as a Spurs player, with the two teams set to meet in the Premier League on 29th August down at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Newcastle United were eyeing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Archie Gray.

The Durham-born star has been on Newcastle's radar for a while, and was linked with a move to Tyneside from Leeds before he made his £30m switch to Spurs.

A report from Fabrizio Romano suggested that Newcastle had made an approach for Gray but were rebuffed by Spurs, who want to hold on to the 20-year-old.

There was no mention of a fee attached to the bid which made us question the validity of the claims, especially as it was Fabrizio Romano making them and he loves throwing around numbers.

Keith Downie rubbished Fabrizio Romano's claims

Sky Sports' Keith Downie cleared things up on X later on, however, stating that both clubs have rubbished the claims that any talks had taken place about Archie Gray.

Downie did acknowledge that Newcastle are interested in Gray and that his name has been mentioned in their transfer meetings, but that's as far as it has gone while saying that the ongoing talks for Sandro Tonali could have complicated matters.

‘Newcastle have not made a bid for Tottenham’s Archie Gray, according to sources at both clubs.

'The 20-year-old’s name has come up in conversation at #NUFC, and there is an interest, but it hasn’t gone any further than that.

'Any situation complicated by Spurs’ pursuit of Sandro Tonali. Tottenham are still at the table, and discussions centre around a deal of £90m+

Tottenham and Newcastle would go on to agree a deal for Sandro Tonali, which could net Newcastle £100 million, as we reported yesterday.

Could Tonali's move open the door for Gray to leave?

Whether this now frees up Archie Gray, given that Tonali's arrival will push the England youth international further down the pecking order, only time will tell.

We had wondered if Gray would be used as part of the deal to land Tonali, but it probably works out better for all involved if it's a cash deal and then a separate transaction for Gray.

Newcastle definitely need a strong central midfielder, and while still very young, Gray has plenty of experience and even more potential. He'd be a fantastic signing for Newcastle, but Spurs seem determined to keep hold of him. For now.

Sandro Tonali is inching ever closer towards a move to Tottenham Hotspur if recent reports are to be believed.

Newcastle United have set a price for Tonali, believed to be around £100 million. Tottenham Hotspur have already had a bid of below £80 million rejected - twice.

There were reports earlier today from Alex Crook and Ben Jacobs that Spurs were going in with another bid today of around £90 million. Sky Sports Italy reporter Gianluca Di Marzio has now corroborated Jacobs and Crook's claims, saying that Spurs 'have never been this close' to signing Tonali.

There have been reports that Spurs had reached an agreement in principle with Tonali, so personal terms wouldn't be an issue. Then, with this news, it was starting to feel like things were gathering momentum, and then David Ornstein dropped a bombshell.

Newcastle reach £100m agreement with Spurs

Ornstein took to X to claim that the two clubs have now reached an agreement and Newcastle will receive their asking price.

The Athletic's chief transfer reporter has posted on X that Spurs will pay Newcastle £92.5 million with a further £7.5 million in add-ons, which will be based around Champions League qualification.

"EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham Hotspur reach agreement with Newcastle United to sign Sandro Tonali. Deal for 26yo Italy international to join #THFC from #NUFC £92.5m + £7.5m in potential add-ons based around multiple Champions League qualifications @TheAthleticFC"

This is huge for Newcastle

We all knew it was coming; it was just going to be a case of when and how much, but it looks like we have our answers.

If this is true, this is absolutely huge business for Newcastle. Even at our most bullish, we didn't actually think we'd get £100 million for Tonali.

While losing a player of his status is a massive blow, the difference that cash will make to our summer - as long as the club uses it wisely - is going to be huge.

It does mean, however, that Ross Wilson is going to have to get busy very quickly as he now has two big pairs of boots to fill in the squad with Anthony Gordon gone and Tonali going.

Sandro Tonali's time at Newcastle United looks to be coming to an end as Tottenham Hotspur keep piling on the pressure.

While no agreement has been reached between the two clubs in terms of a fee, it seems things are moving along nicely with Tonali and Spurs.

Clearly, tapping up just isn't a thing anymore as long as you word everything right. We're not digging out Spurs here because Newcastle do it too; we had an agreement in place with Victor Munoz before we agreed the fee and before Liverpool entered the chat.

Over the weekend, some astronomical figures were being bandied about in terms of wages for Sandro Tonali. So high in fact that it reportedly caused Arsenal to walk away completely.

Sandro Tonali has 'agreed' to a six-year bumper deal with Spurs

According to The Chronicle, Sandro Tonali is demanding £275,000 a week. Spurs are willing to meet his demands, and if the move goes ahead, he would sign a six-year deal in North London.

Tottenham have already made a bid for Tonali, offering under £80 million and after having it rejected, tried again with the exact same offer. Newcastle's stuck by their guns and rejected the offer.

If they really want Tonali, they're going to have to pay what Newcastle feel he's worth, which is thought to be somewhere between £90m-£100m.

Sandro Tonali's exit will guarantee Bruno Guimarães stays

If Newcastle can get somewhere between £90m and £100m, then it could open a lot of doors for them this summer, but more importantly, it will also likely slam one door closed.

All the talk of Bruno Guimarães being snapped up would almost certainly end if Tonali left, as there's no way the club would allow both to leave in the same window.

It's going to be hard enough to replace Tonali, but replacing Bruno would be nigh-on impossible.

Sandro Tonali's proposed move from Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur has taken another step closer, according to Sky Sports.

The Italian midfielder has been the subject of two one-and-a-half bids from Tottenham Hotspur, who last week offered £75 million plus add-ons for the 26-year-old and then, reportedly, followed that up this week with another bid ... of exactly the same fee and structure. Spurs essentially asked Newcastle to reconsider their original offer.

Newcastle are standing firm on its valuation of the Italian, who has a contract that runs until 2029 with a unilateral option for the club to extend it by another year, so other than pressure from the player himself, Newcastle have no real obligation to bend to anyone's will.

Some reports have suggested that Tonali would prefer a move to Arsenal or Manchester City as both clubs have been linked in the past, but there's a feeling that neither is as serious as Spurs.

Spurs have £275,000-a-week contract waiting for Tonali

A report from Sky Sports has now suggested that Spurs are ready to throw money at Tonali to convince him to move to North London.

Their belief is that Tottenham has a £275,000-a-week contract waiting for him should he choose to move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Sky also believes that Tonali is now warming to the move, and they insist that he is keen to play for Roberto De Zerbi.

A word of caution, Sandro

One thing we would say to Sandro is not to base your decision on playing for a Spurs manager because they don't tend to stick around for very long.

It would be absolute Spurs for Tonali to sign in the summer, citing De Zerbi as the main reason, only to be playing for a completely different gaffer come Christmas.

That being said, as long as Newcastle gets the money they're asking for, go do what you want, mate. It feels like fans have come to terms with his inevitable exit at this point. I have, at least.

Tottenham Hotspur have approached Newcastle United again with a view to signing Italy international Sandro Tonali.

Spurs have recently emerged as the main contenders to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle after reports that Manchester City and Arsenal are monitoring his situation.

There's nothing to suggest that Tonali is unsettled on Tyneside, but there's been a lot of speculation over his future ever since deadline day in the winter window.

Tottenham had already had one bid rejected by Newcastle last week. Spurs were thought to have bid £75 million plus add-ons for the 26-year-old, but it was immediately rejected by Newcastle.

Spurs have approached Newcastle again

Now Craig Hope is reporting that the Spurs have tried again. In The Daily Mail, Hope claims that the North London club didn't even improve on their initial offer.

Bizarrely, rather than come up with a new offer, Spurs have reportedly asked Newcastle to reconsider their initial offer, which was swiftly rejected, as was this request to reconsider.

Newcastle maintain a valuation of £100 million on Tonali, and so far, nobody has come close to offering a package that would get them to reconsider.

We have to give credit where it's due, Newcastle are sticking by their guns. They insisted that they would not sell any big players this summer unless it was on their terms, and they appear to be standing by that.

Tottenham's offer is insulting

However, it's a bold move by Tottenham to come back and ask again without improving the terms. In fact, it's almost insulting.

It stinks of arrogance. Almost as if Spurs are saying, "Look, we know he wants to come here because we're Tottenham and we're in London, so just be good little boys and let him go."

Hopefully, Tonali is paying attention too, and he thinks about where he's more valued. Newcastle see him as a £100 million player, Spurs obviously don't. Think about it, Sandro! Obviously, that's not really going to matter to him; all that really matters to the players is what they get paid, and in that respect, Spurs will have us well and truly beat.

Tottenham Hotspur came out of nowhere to lead the race for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.

It has been speculated for months that Sandro Tonali could seek a move elsewhere this summer, starting back on deadline day of the winter window when he was linked with Arsenal.

Since then, Tonali's agent Giuseppe Riso has been quite open about the fact that he will be trying to secure a move for the Italy international, though Tonali himself has remained quiet.

As well as Arsenal, Manchester City were reportedly interested in the 26-year-old, but suddenly it was Tottenham Hotspur who started showing the most intent, with Roberto De Zerbi reportedly very keen to bring in his compatriot as part of a big rebuild for Spurs.

Fabrizio Romano is like a dog with a bone

Fabrizio Romano has been repeating this news on an almost daily basis as part of his mission to disrupt Newcastle's pre-season like he did last year with Alexander Isak. The Italian journalist has caught the ire of Luke Edwards and many Newcastle fans in the last couple of days, but it hasn't stopped his rhetoric.

Speaking on his YouTube channel about Tonali to Spurs, Romano has insisted that De Zerbi's side is the only side close to landing the Italian this summer.

"On Sandro Tonalli, I keep receiving many questions, many people mentioning Arsenal, many people mentioning Manchester City. 'What's going on with Tonali? Is he going to Tottenham as you say it or not?'

"I stand by my news from last week out of nowhere, exclusive news, Sandro Tonali, Tottenham, full stop.

"I keep mentioning Tottenham and Tonali, Tonali and Tottenham. I remain on my position. Tottenham are working on a deal to sign Sandro Tonali, and that remains the case. Deal on. Tottenham, Tonali.

"I'm not coming here mentioning Man City, I'm not coming here mentioning other clubs. Since I told you Tonali Tottenham last week, the other clubs are no longer mentioned by myself, at least, so let's follow the situation, but the deal is on."

We just want Romano to be embarrassed

There is obviously plenty of truth to Tottenham's interest in Tonali, but at this point, Romano's relentless rhetoric is getting pretty irritating.

We've come to terms with the idea of Tonali leaving, and we've even come to terms with him joining Spurs, but we really hope it doesn't happen now. Not just because we (or at least I) would prefer him to stay, but now I just want Fabrizio Romano to be wrong.

The Blog office is still pretty split on whether selling Tonali would be a good move, but as much as I would prefer him to stay, I do see the sense in the sale. As I keep saying, it's about what we do with the money we generate that will ultimately determine whether it was a good call.

Sandro Tonali looks to be on his way out of St James' Park this summer, and London appears to be his likely destination.

However, the big question is: will it be Tottenham Hotspur or Arsenal where he ends up?

Tottenham have already made their first move, sending in a £75 million bid last week that was rejected by Newcastle. Talks are thought ot be continuing, and Spurs aren't throwing in the towel after just one setback.

Indeed, it is believed that Roberto De Zerbi has identified Tonali as his main target this summer and Spurs are determined to act quickly before their bitter rivals Arsenal wake up and get involved. Manchester City are also thought to be looking, but they are currently focused on trying to sign Newcastle academy product Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Tonali prefers a move to Arsenal over Tottenham

The Daily Mail believes that, despite Spurs being an option, Tonali's preference would be a move to Arsenal if they were to firm up their interest.

Tottenham aren't playing games this summer and have already spent some serious money signing Jan Paul Van Hecke from Brighton for over £50 million, while bringing in free agents Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, who will all command hefty wages.

Spurs are ready to offer Tonali a bumper payday to secure his services, but Arsenal may just be biding their time to see what Spurs are offering before making a move.

We tried to ignore the warning signs

Tonali's agent has been warning us for months that he was likely to leave in the summer, and while we tried to downplay what he was saying, it looks as though he's going to get his wish.

We hope that Arsenal and Manchester City do get involved. A bidding war will only benefit Newcastle as the price ramps up.

If the price gets inflated to a point where all three give up, then we get to keep Tonali. We can't really lose here. We just have to make sure the money we get is invested properly - and quickly!

Sandro Tonali's Newcastle United stay looks to be coming to an end with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City circling with intent.

It's believed that Spurs are determined to land the Italian this summer and have already made a £75 million bid that was immediately rejected by Newcastle.

They aren't thought to be put off by the rejection, though, as Spurs look to rebuild under Robert De Zerbi after a second consecutive 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

Newcastle have always known that keeping hold of Tonali this summer was going to be a Herculean effort, and it seems as though they are fully prepared to let him move as long as the price is right - somewhere between £90m-£100m.

Kees Smit could be the ideal Sandro Tonali replacement

The issue facing Newcastle is that of replacing Tonali. Even with the money they get from the sale, they still have to find someone who at least has the potential to be as good as Tonali, and then convince them to come to the club over offers from more established silverware-chasing clubs.

Newcastle have a long-standing interest in AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, and while they were told that a pursuit in January would be futile, the Magpies wanted to get in early because they knew that there was likely to be a huge battle for his signature in the summer.

With Tonali potentially heading out of ht elcub though, the Daily Mail is now reporting that Newcastle are ready to join the melee for the 20-year-old Dutchman, who wasn't included in the Netherlands' World Cup squad by Ronald Koeman.

Could Smit's World Cup omission help Newcastle?

Missing out on that place at the World Cup may just be enough to keep the heat off him and allow Newcastle a clearer run at him.

Obviously, those clubs who were already eyeing Smit aren't going to just forget about him because he's not on the other side of the Atlantic doing his thing at the World Cup, but his not being there means he's not front and centre in the media.

There was a lot of chatter at the back end of last year that Smit would be open to joining Newcastle, but he and AZ Alkmaar wanted to see out the season before making any decisions.

If the Magpies act quickly and offer good terms, they may actually have a shot of landing Smit this summer, but we're not going to hold our breath, especially after what happened with Victor Munoz.

Tottenham Hotspur were already fairly determined to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali this summer, but they've now been handed an extra incentive.

Spurs aren't relying on player exits to fund their move for £100 million-rated Sandro Tonali, but after having had a £75 million bid rejected already, they may be starting to consider ways to offset the huge outlay.

Tottenham are backing Roberto De Zerbi to the hilt this summer and have already signed off on some big deals, while Tonali is on the list along with Mateus Fernandes from West Ham.

The competition in the midfield has already given 20-year-old Sweden star Lucas Bergvall plenty to think about, but with Tonali and Fernandes possibly incoming too, Bergvall has made his intentions clear to the Spurs hierarchy - he wants out.

Lucas Bergvall has a £45m price tag

Spurs are expected to want £45 million for the Swede, according to The Chronicle, which claims that Nottingham Forest, Chelsea (obviously) and Aston Villa are all keen.

Bergvall has been impressive for Sweden at the World Cup, racking up an assist in the 5-1 win over Tunisia.

Should Spurs get the £45 million they feel he's worth, then that will no doubt help them to increase their bid for Sandro Tonali.

Why aren't Newcastle using Bergvall's situation to their advantage?

Our question is, why doesn't Newcastle ask for Bergvall as part of the deal? He's not a like-for-like replacement by any means, but he's six years younger than Tonali and has bags of talent.

Newcastle's whole philosophy now is to sign younger players to develop, and Bergvall is certainly in that category. He also has the advantage of already having Premier League experience, so he is ready to go.

Whether Newcastle can offer him a guaranteed place in the starting lineup, which is why he wants to leave Tottenham, that could be the problem. But will Chelsea or Aston Villa be able to offer that either? Nottingham Forest may be able to, especially if Elliot Anderson is sold, but surely Newcastle is the better option of the two.

A couple of us at Blog Towers are big fans of Bergvall and feel this deal makes a lot of sense. What are your thoughts? Does he have what it takes to be a success at Newcastle?