Tottenham’s Pursuit of Tonali: De Zerbi’s £100m Ambition

Tottenham Hotspur have circled plenty of names this summer, but one now sits clearly at the top of Roberto De Zerbi’s wish list: Sandro Tonali.

The Newcastle United midfielder, already regarded as one of the Premier League’s standout central players over the past couple of seasons, has emerged as the centrepiece of Spurs’ ambitious rebuild. And crucially, he’s up for it.

De Zerbi’s marquee demand

Spurs have moved quickly in this window. Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have arrived on free transfers. Deals for Savinho, Jan Paul van Hecke and Joao Palhinha are being worked on. It’s been busy, aggressive, decisive.

Tonali would be different. Tonali would be a statement.

Fabrizio Romano revealed that Tottenham have “entered the race” for the Italy international, with De Zerbi identifying him as the man to elevate the entire midfield. Internally, the new head coach is pushing hard. This isn’t a passing fancy; it’s a demand.

“Tottenham want to do something very, very important in terms of a top player, top name in midfield,” Romano said, outlining the scale of the club’s intent.

The pursuit is not without heavyweight rivals. Manchester City and Arsenal are both in the frame, and Arsenal already explored a deal in January only to see it stall. That interest never really went away.

Yet Spurs believe they have something the others do not.

A Brescia bond at the heart of the pitch

The key detail sits far from north London or Tyneside. It lies in Brescia.

De Zerbi and Tonali come from the same Italian city, a shared background Romano describes as giving them “a very good connection”. This is not just about nationality; it’s about roots, identity, understanding. For a manager trying to build a new dressing-room core, that matters.

De Zerbi sees Tonali as the heartbeat of his Tottenham project. A controller, a carrier, a leader. Someone to change the tempo and the tone of a team that has lurched between ideas and identities over the past few seasons.

And the feeling, at least for now, is mutual.

Tonali’s stance: no Europe, no problem

The obvious question hangs over the deal: why would a player of Tonali’s calibre choose a club without European football, especially with Manchester City and Arsenal at the door?

Romano’s answer is blunt. Tonali is “keen on a move to Tottenham”. He is “open to joining Tottenham” and “ready to join Spurs even without European football, even after a terrible season for them”.

That is a powerful endorsement of De Zerbi’s pull and of the project being sold behind closed doors in north London. Tonali, Romano adds, is “attracted by the project” and “wants to play for De Zerbi”, with the prospect of a move described as “really serious” and “really concrete”.

This is not a player using Spurs to leverage a better offer elsewhere. The interest is genuine. The green light from the player’s side is there.

But one obstacle remains, and it is a sizeable one.

Newcastle dig in and name their price

Newcastle United have already eased some of their financial pressure by cashing in on Anthony Gordon. That sale means they are under no obligation to offload Tonali, and they intend to act like it.

TEAMtalk report that Newcastle have “no intention of making it easy” for any club trying to sign the midfielder. The Magpies will only “begin to consider” a sale if bids climb beyond the £100m mark.

That figure is less a valuation and more a deterrent. Newcastle know Tonali is one of their crown jewels. They know he has admirers across the league. If he goes, it will be on their terms.

Romano underlined the same point: “It is never easy to strike a deal with Newcastle, but Tottenham will be on it.” Negotiations, if they truly start, will be long and bruising.

A defining move in the making?

For Tottenham, this is the type of transfer that can tilt a project on its axis. A club that has often flirted with big-name deals without closing them now has a manager demanding a marquee signing, a player who wants to come, and a clear, if expensive, path to a deal.

Spurs have entered the race. De Zerbi is pushing. Tonali is listening.

Now it comes down to how far Tottenham are willing to go – and whether Newcastle’s £100m wall can be broken.