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Spurs complete £100million move for Tonali

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Tottenham continued their summer spending spree by signing Sandro Tonali for a club-record transfer fee from Newcastle.

An agreement between the two Premier League rivals for the signature of the midfielder was reached on Wednesday night and a move finally announced on Monday morning, with Spurs paying an initial £92.5m and a further £7.5m in add-ons.

"I'm very happy to be here. When I arrived at the club today, it felt fantastic. People said about there being four or five clubs – there was only one," Tonali told the official club website.

"I spoke to the head coach (Roberto De Zerbi) for close to two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football. It was like magic because I knew immediately that I had to sign for Tottenham.

"I’ve played against Tottenham a few times and always found a great atmosphere made by great fans. I can’t wait to start the season."

Tonali’s club-record signing follows the £85m deal for Mateus Fernandes announced on Thursday and Jan Paul van Hecke joining from Brighton for £52m earlier this summer, which takes Spurs’ spending to £237m.

Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also signed as free agents, but Tonali was top of De Zerbi’s wish list and completes the club’s midfield revamp with the 26-year-old viewed as a statement addition.

De Zerbi said: "Sandro is a special player and a great signing for our club.

"I have followed him for a long time, as he came through the youth system at my hometown club, Brescia, and I’m so happy to be working with him now.

"Given his qualities, there was a lot of interest in Sandro this summer. However, he was very clear in his desire to join Tottenham, and I know our fans will love what he brings to the team."

Tonali started his career at Brescia before he joined AC Milan in 2020, but three years later the Italian giants let the popular midfielder leave for a significant fee to sign for Newcastle.

A matter of months into his time at St James’ Park and Tonali was handed a worldwide ban from playing football for 10 months for breaching betting regulations during his time in Italy.

When Tonali returned the following campaign, he helped inspire Newcastle to Carabao Cup glory at Wembley, but he will continue his chapter in England with Spurs.

Tonali said in a post on his Instagram page: "Three years ago I came to Newcastle not really knowing what to expect. Today it’s time to say goodbye and it’s hard to find the right words.

"Above all, I want to speak directly to the fans. When things were hard for me, you were there. Not for one day did I feel alone. I felt it every time I was at St James’ Park. That’s something I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

After back-to-back 17th place finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham’s previously stringent financial model has been thrown out of the window this summer by majority owners the Lewis family.

Spurs have regularly boasted the lowest wages to revenue ratio compared to domestic rivals, with this figure at 45 per cent for the 2024-25 campaign.

However, with revenue streams regularly beyond the £500million mark, partly due to the amount of non-football events being hosted at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the north London club have relaxed their rigid wage structure and broken their transfer record twice this summer.

Tonali is not expected to be Spurs’ last arrival with attacking reinforcements the new key focus and PA understands there is interest in Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi.

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Transfers: Spurs sign Dubravka, Burnley close on Bellamy

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Tottenham have made Martin Dubravka their fourth signing of the summer in a move which will pave the way for Antonin Kinsky to become first-choice goalkeeper.

Experienced former Newcastle and Manchester United stopper Dubravka has agreed to join Spurs on a free transfer after he left Burnley at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

The decision to turn to Dubravka instead of target a high-profile keeper is the latest show of faith in Kinsky, who bounced back from a nightmare display against Atletico Madrid in March to star in Tottenham's successful relegation battle.

It's understood that Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is expected to leave Spurs this summer, so Kinsky will become number one and have Dubravka, 37, behind him for support and competition.

Dubravka spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Manchester United as back-up keeper and will likely get opportunities at Tottenham in domestic cup competitions.

Excellent with the ball at his feet, the Slovakia international follows Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke in joining De Zerbi's revolution at Spurs this summer.

Wales seem set to lose manager Craig Bellamy (pictured above) with the 46-year-old in advanced talks to take charge at Sky Bet Championship club Burnley.

Bellamy - who is halfway through a four-year contract - was initially prepared to commit himself to Wales and their Euro 2028 campaign amid speculation linking him to Celtic and Burnley.

But Burnley have pushed hard for their former coach to succeed Scott Parker following their relegation from the Premier League, and the Press Association now understands Bellamy is in contract talks with the Clarets.

Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney told S4C: "You have to be open to the fact that people can express themselves in different ways. But Craig has been special to Welsh football.

"Craig has been fantastic for us in terms of the football we play and the energy we have.

"But of course, we have to be aware of the fact that we are in a huge football industry and that people have different objectives.

"In my opinion, Craig will go on to be a world-class coach."

Arsenal are in club-to-club contact with Leicester for a deal to sign Jeremy Monga.

According to the Athletic, no agreement has yet been reached for the 16-year-old winger.

The Daily Mail reports that Manchester United and Arsenal are tracking Alex Scott, who would cost around £60m (€69.5m).

The 22-year-old midfielder enjoyed a stellar season for Bournemouth last term, making 37 Premier League appearances.

According to the Sun, Everton have approached West Ham regarding a deal to sign skipper Jarrod Bowen, with a formal bid yet to be made.

The 29-year-old has been with the Hammers since January 2020 and was part of the team relegated from the Premier League in May following an 18th-placed finish.

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Spurs breathe again as they avoid nightmare relegation

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Joao Palhinha's 43rd-minute goal fired Tottenham to Premier League safety with a 1-0 home win over Everton.

Defeat at Chelsea on Tuesday meant Spurs required a draw or victory to guarantee survival and ensure West Ham's result at home to Leeds had no bearing on the north London club's destiny.

Even though Roberto De Zerbi had sparked an incredible turnaround for Tottenham since his March arrival and guided them out of the bottom four last month, his next magic trick was to end a 10-match winless run at home in the Premier League.

Palhinha's scruffy goal two minutes before half-time earned Spurs a deserved lead at the break, but a nervy second half followed with news of West Ham goals filtering through.

Everton boss David Moyes shuffled his pack and substitute Tyrique George almost produced a last-gasp leveller, but Antonin Kinsky's flying save in stoppage-time confirmed a first Tottenham home league win since December and sent West Ham down.

It meant West Ham's final-day win over Leeds was too little too late.

The Hammers needed a victory and for Tottenham to lose at home to Everton to stay up and send Spurs down instead.

They kept their side of the bargain as second-half goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson sank Leeds 3-0.

But Spurs, who had very sportingly been bad enough to take the relegation scrap to the last day, got their win to survive by two points.

It brought to an end West Ham's 15-year stay in the top flight, with relegation coming a decade after the controversial move to the London Stadium and the hollow promises from the owners that came with it.

Their brief revival under Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced Graham Potter as manager in September, began too late and fizzled out too early.

"We sold our soul, for this ****hole" rang around the former Olympic Stadium as fans turned their anger towards chairman David Sullivan.

The Leeds fans were in no mood to be sympathetic, chanting "Millwall away ole ole", a fixture which could keep the Metropolitan Police busy next season.

Relegation will come as no surprise to seasoned West Ham watchers, with the club having been in decline ever since David Moyes took them to Conference League glory in 2023.

Supporters will point to the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal and subsequent dismal investment of his £105m transfer fee.

West Ham cherry-picked cheap players from relegated clubs; James Ward-Prowse, Kyle Walker-Peters and Mateus Fernandes from Southampton, Crysencio Summerville from Leeds and Mads Hermansen from Leicester.

Now, the same will happen to them, with Bowen, Summerville and Fernandes likely first out of the door.

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Tottenham fan group set to protest after final game

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Fan group Change for Tottenham plan to protest after Sunday's final match of the season with Everton regardless of whether relegation is avoided.

Spurs remain embroiled in a battle to survive after they lost 2-1 at Chelsea on Tuesday to stay 17th and only two points above the Premier League’s bottom three.

It has been a disastrous campaign for the world’s ninth-richest football team with three head coaches and multiple unwanted records set, including losing six games in a row for the first time in the club’s history and going on a 15-match winless run in the Premier League.

Ahead of the final-day clash at home to Everton, a statement from Change for Tottenham read: "This Sunday, for 90 minutes, we need to get behind the team. Nothing else matters.

"We need the points and the players need every one of us behind them for one last time this season.

"When the final whistle blows, regardless of the result, we need to stand up to the board for putting us in this perilous position."

An enormous injury list has taken its toll on Spurs, but Change for Tottenham have largely pointed the blame for this sorry season at chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, director of football Johan Lange and club owners ENIC, which are run by the Lewis family.

Venkatesham and Lange were central to the summer decision to appoint Thomas Frank alongside Daniel Levy, who left his role as chairman after 24 years in September.

At the time sources close to the Lewis family told the Press Association they wanted "more wins, more often" and felt a change at the top of the club was required after Levy had been the key decision-maker for nearly a quarter of a century.

However, Levy’s departure contributed towards a leadership vacuum, despite Venkatesham since being able to hire performance director Dan Lewindon and Rafi Moersen as director of football operations.

After a bright start under Frank, he went on to record the worst win rate of any permanent Spurs manager before he was dismissed on 11 February, which was a week on from the end of a relatively quiet winter transfer window despite a hefty injury crisis.

Tottenham turned to Igor Tudor, who lost five of his seven matches as interim head coach before the decision to bring in Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi’s transformative effect at Spurs of raising a low-on-confidence and injury-hit group may still not be enough to avoid a catastrophic first relegation in 49 years if West Ham win at home to Leeds on Sunday and Everton triumph.

"Thomas Frank should have been sacked months before he was and Igor Tudor should never have been appointed, which resulted in our worst losing run in the club’s history," a Change for Tottenham statement continued.

"We were desperate in January for new signings, every fan could see it and the board did nothing.

"Levy has gone and nothing has changed as it was never one man. It is ENIC and the Lewis family who own us and say nothing. Promised success, delivering failure.

"So, on Sunday our banners will go up in the North, East and South stands at full time regardless of the result. Join us to chant against the board and make your voice heard. We can’t allow this to happen ever again."

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Spurs boss De Zerbi refuses to be drawn on penalty claim

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Roberto De Zerbi refused to discuss Tottenham's late penalty claim in a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea and instead urged the relegation-threatened club to channel energy into Sunday’s "final" with Everton.

Spurs remain 17th and only two points above the Premier League bottom three after they squandered the chance to secure survival with a potentially costly loss at Stamford Bridge where Enzo Fernandes inspired derby delight.

Fernandez smashed in a 30-yard opener in the 18th-minute before he teed up Andrey Santos with 67 on the clock, but Richarlison provided a lifeline for the visitors with 16 minutes left.

A controversial finish occurred after Spurs captain Micky van de Ven was dragged to the floor by Marc Cucurella from a corner and even though the Chelsea full-back was issued a caution, referee Stuart Attwell ordered the set-piece to be retaken with the ball deemed not to be in play.

It infuriated Tottenham players and despite plenty of late pressure, they failed to force an equaliser and face a final-day decider at home to Everton, which De Zerbi has called more important than last season’s Europa League triumph over Manchester United.

De Zerbi said: "My focus is to prepare the next game and to make points, because Sunday is the final for Tottenham. Not Bilbao against Man Utd.

"The most important game is Sunday, because last season they played for the trophy. Now we play for something more important than the trophy, because the pride, the history of the club, the dignity are more important than the trophy.

"The trophy you can win, you can lose, nothing changes in your life. You can have one trophy more, but the most important is to keep the dignity, to keep the pride, to go on holiday like this [head up], and not like this [head down]."

After Chelsea edged a tight first half which lacked quality, De Zerbi had a triple substitution prepared when Randal Kolo Muani passed behind Rodrigo Bentancur to leave the Spurs defence exposed and Pedro Neto crossed in for Fernandez to tee up Santos to score on the turn.

Tottenham rallied when Richarlison fired in after a Pape Sarr back heel and after Maddison was denied by a superb last-ditch tackle from Jorrel Hato, the resulting corner was cut short when referee Attwell blew his whistle and cautioned Cucurella for hauling Van de Ven to the floor.

However, Attwell did not point to the spot and instead called for the corner to be retaken.

A post on X by Premier League Match Centre read: "The referee’s call of no penalty to Tottenham Hotspur was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that the action from Cucurella had ended before the ball was in play."

Images quickly emerged on social media which appeared to suggest the ball had been in play, but De Zerbi twice side-stepped the topic.

"It’s not my business now," De Zerbi insisted.

"Today we can speak about what you want, but we lose focus and we lose energy. My focus is to stay on the pitch.

"We have to stay alive but anyway, (Sunday) is a big day for us."

Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane praised his energy-sapped team after the quick turnaround to Saturday’s FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

"Good to get the win," McFarlane reflected.

"It was obvious from minute one we didn’t at times have the energy and intensity we needed. It was always going to be tough after the cup final.

"It was obviously Spurs would get more energy and we just needed to dig in for the result at the end."

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inflicted wound keeps Spurs in relegation battle

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Tottenham forward Mathys Tel went from hero to zero after he gave away a reckless penalty following his opener in a 1-1 draw with Leeds to leave his team mired in relegation trouble.

Arsenal's controversial 1-0 victory at 18th-placed West Ham on Sunday provided a pre-match boost for both clubs and Spurs were set to go four points clear of the relegation zone when Tel produced a wonderful 50th-minute opener.

It was followed by a moment of madness from the young forward after Tel caught Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu in the face with an overhead kick clearance after 69 minutes.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin emphatically converted the spot-kick to set up a grandstand finish where Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi turned to James Maddison, who made his first competitive appearance in 12 months after a serious knee injury.

There would be no winning goal, though, after Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky thwarted Sean Longstaff’s powerful stoppage-time strike before a late penalty appeal for Lukas Nmecha’s tackle on Maddison was turned down to leave Tottenham only two points above the bottom three.

A dramatic finale at London Stadium on Sunday benefited both Tottenham and Leeds, with the visitors able to kick-off with another season in the Premier League guaranteed.

Spurs still required points and despite a raucous welcome a disjointed start followed, with nervous energy increased by Tel's unnecessary lobbed pass across the face of his own penalty area.

Kinsky was called into action with 21 minutes played when Leeds forward Brenden Aaronson picked out ex-home defender Joe Rodon, but his header was brilliantly stopped on the goal-line by the keeper.

With De Zerbi constantly issuing instructions on the touchline, Spurs sparked into life, with Tel able to squeeze between two defenders before his shot was deflected over.

Richarlison tested Karl Darlow next before the Leeds goalkeeper was penalised for holding onto the ball too long, but Pedro Porro and Conor Gallagher could not fire on target from the resulting corner.

Joao Palhinha lifted over shortly afterwards before Rodrigo Bentancur headed wide, but Leeds finished the half strongly when Ao Tanaka sliced off target before Tottenham survived a penalty shout for Destiny Udogie’s collision with Calvert-Lewin, who was crucially ruled offside.

Spurs built on that close call and a moment of magic from Tel provided the breakthrough in the 50th minute.

Porro’s corner was cleared out to Tel, who took a touch and produced a wonderful curled finish into the top corner for his fourth goal of the campaign.

It should have been 2-0 when Randal Kolo Muani got in behind and teed up Richarlison, but he blazed over.

Daniel Farke reacted with Nmecha and Wilfried Gnonto sent on and with 21 minutes left, Leeds received a gift of a spot-kick from Tottenham scorer Tel.

After Spurs dealt with the initial ball into the area, Tel’s attempted acrobatic clearance caught the face of Ampadu and even though referee Jarred Gillett waved play on, a penalty was awarded after a lengthy VAR check and pitchside monitor review.

Calvert-Lewin drilled into the bottom corner for his 14th goal of an excellent season to bring Tottenham right back into a survival battle.

De Zerbi turned to his bench and introduced Maddison with five minutes left, but during a frantic period of stoppage time, Kinsky brilliantly thwarted Longstaff before Maddison had strong penalty appeals waved away after a coming together with Nmecha to ensure the spoils were shared.

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Spurs out of the relegation zone after win at Villa

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Tottenham looked like a team destined to secure Premier League survival after they beat a dire Aston Villa 2-1 to move out of the bottom three.

Spurs put in their best performance of the season to claim three crucial points at Villa Park, thanks to first-half goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison.

They look a different side under Roberto De Zerbi, registering back-to-back league victories for the first time since August, and are now favourites to beat the drop.

The north London club leapfrogged West Ham in the table and with a home game to come against Leeds, after the Hammers host Arsenal, their position could be even rosier next week

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Premier League wrap: Hammers and Spurs dig out vital wins

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Callum Wilson grabbed a priceless stoppage-time winner as West Ham kept their heads above the relegation zone with a 2-1 victory over Everton, as Tottenham Hotspur dug out a massive win of their own at Wolves.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's late equaliser, which cancelled out Tomas Soucek's header, looked to have swung the survival battle Spurs' way moments after they had taken the lead at Molineux.

It was a goal which briefly dropped West Ham below Spurs and back into the bottom three.

But substitute Wilson, who had scored eight goals in his previous seven appearances against Everton, struck two minutes into time added on to keep the Hammers two places above their London rivals.

It was a hammer blow for David Moyes, making his first return to the London Stadium since he left two summers ago and on his 63rd birthday.

The reunion brought up his 750th match as a Premier League boss, but their bid to qualify for Europe took a dent with a dramatic late defeat.

Meanwhile Joao Palhinha's 82nd-minute tap-in earned Tottenham a first Premier League win of 2026 but they remain in the relegation zone.

Spurs looked set for a painful afternoon at Molineux after Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons were forced off due to injury until Roberto De Zerbi watched Palhinha slide in at the back post from a scuffed

Richarlison shot to secure a first league success in 16 matches.

It momentarily took Tottenham out of the bottom three, but that late winner for West Ham has kept the gap to two points with only four games left.

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One win can change everything for 'suffering' Spurs

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Roberto De Zerbi believes one victory can change the course of Tottenham's season – but he will be without more key personnel for Saturday’s crucial trip to already-relegated Wolves.

Spurs have spent another week in the bottom three after they conceded a last-gasp equaliser at home to Brighton in a 2-2 draw to extend their winless run in the Premier League to 15 matches.

Tottenham are two points from safety after 17th-placed West Ham shared the spoils with Crystal Palace on Monday, but De Zerbi retains faith they can avoid a catastrophic first relegation since 1977 before they head to Molineux.

De Zerbi has lost left-back Destiny Udogie due to a muscle problem and Guglielmo Vicario is still not available after hernia surgery, which means Antonin Kinsky will deputise in goal again.

James Maddison was an unused substitute against Brighton and even though he is set to travel to Wolverhampton, the playmaker does not appear ready to contribute but De Zerbi urged his team to play without pressure.

"It’s a tough game because they have nothing to lose. It’s an important game for us, for sure, but we have to be able to play with not too much pressure," De Zerbi insisted.

"Sometimes when one team is losing too many games the rumours are not nice and behaviour and the people speak about not too much serious players, but no, it is not like this in this case.

"I found good players, good guys, serious players and they follow me. They believe in my words because I am able to recognise the eyes of the players.

"We are suffering, they are suffering because it is not easy to play in Tottenham in this condition of the table, but I said they have to be stronger and they have to live to win a game.

"We have to live every part of the day waiting for a win and preparing for a win because I think with a win we can change this part of the season."

It was revealed on Friday that Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey should have received a second yellow card for a foul (below) on Spurs captain Cristian Romero during De Zerbi’s debut loss in charge.

De Zerbi said: "Can we play that game again or not? I think not.

"It was clear but no problem. We have to move on."

Kevin Danso will start again for Tottenham against the club he almost joined last January and De Zerbi spoke out against the racist abuse suffered by the defender after his mistake against Brighton.

De Zerbi added: "I was very annoyed by the racist insults towards Kevin, but he has to be calm. I’m proud for him."

Maddison will travel to Molineux after a surprise spot on the bench, but De Zerbi cast doubt about his involvement.

"He is not available yet, especially in this week. He felt pain but not so important problem," De Zerbi explained.

"Tomorrow he will come with us on the bench because he is important. If he plays or not, it doesn’t matter.

"As a guy, as a leader, he is a positive guy. Inside of my dressing room I want to see nice people, positive people and this is important also for his team-mates."

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Spurs report 'abhorrent racist abuse' of Danso to police

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Tottenham have condemned the "vile, dehumanising racism" aimed at defender Kevin Danso following Saturday's 2-2 draw with Brighton.

Danso was at fault for Georginio Rutter’s stoppage-time equaliser which left Spurs languishing in the relegation zone.

The club say they have reported racist abuse towards the Austria centre-back on social media to the police.

"Since yesterday’s fixture against Brighton, which took place during the Premier League’s No Room For Racism weekend, Kevin Danso has been, and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media," Spurs said in a club statement.

"We have heard and seen vile, dehumanising racism. Behaviour that is without doubt a criminal offence. It will not be tolerated.

"The club is taking immediate action. We are reporting all identified content to the Metropolitan Police and to the appropriate authorities in the country where perpetrators reside, as well as to relevant social media platforms.

"We will push for the strongest possible action against each and every person we identify.

"Kevin has our complete and unconditional support as a player and as a person. No one at this club will ever stand alone in the face of this.

"Nothing about form or league position can ever excuse or explain racist abuse. There is no connection between performance on the pitch and the right to target a player with discrimination.

"Criticism of performances is part of the game. Racism is not."

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