Newcastle reject Spurs bid of about £80m for Tonali

Newcastle United have rejected a bid from Tottenham Hotspur for midfielder Sandro Tonali.

>It is understood an offer worth about £80m was turned down earlier this week.

>BBC Sport previously reported Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi was a long-time admirer of Tonali and that the club were exploring the finances of a deal for the 26-year-old Italian.

>However, their opening proposal was declined by Newcastle, who are in a strong position to command a greater fee closer to £100m as Manchester City and Arsenal monitor developments.

>Newcastle have already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, but the club's chief executive, David Hopkinson, has previously made it clear they will only trade players on "our terms".

>Tonali is effectively contracted until 2030 after he signed a new deal during his 10-month betting ban to repay the faith the club showed in him.

>The current market might also work in Newcastle's favour, if a bidding war ensues, given the valuations of midfielders elsewhere.

>Manchester City had a second bid worth about £120m rejected by Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson, while relegated West Ham want up to £80m for Mateus Fernandes.

>There may have been scenes of celebration at full-time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after De Zerbi's side avoided relegation on the final day of the season.

>But there was a recognition internally that the club must never find themselves in such a dire position again.

>Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham vowed "change is happening" in an interview with BBC Sport in May, and there has certainly been a shift in approach.

>Spurs have already spent £52m on defender Jan Paul van Hecke, which would have been unimaginable once upon a time, given he had just one year left on his contract at Brighton.

>They have also looked to capitalise on their revenue by adapting their wage structure, and signed Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers before the window even officially opened.

>Although Spurs' opening gambit was unsuccessful, this approach for Tonali also marks a shift for a club who have never spent more than the £65m deal for Dominic Solanke.

>However, it was rather telling that the bid was swiftly rejected by Newcastle.

>In a week when Newcastle lost out to Liverpool in the race to sign Spain winger Victor Munoz, it would have been damning if Spurs succeeded with their opening bid for Tonali.

>It is clearly going to take a great deal more to tempt Newcastle to cash in.

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