Spurs smash transfer record again to sign Tonali in £100m deal

Sandro Tonali has joined Spurs from Newcastle in club-record £100m deal; the north London club will pay the Magpies £92.5m plus £7.5m in achievable add-ons for the midfielder; Italian wanted to work with Roberto De Zerbi and will earn more than £275,000 per week

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>Tottenham have signed Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United in a club-record £100m deal.

>The midfielder, who is expected to earn more than £275,000 per week, was keen to work under Spurs boss and fellow Italian Roberto De Zerbi, despite interest from elsewhere, including Manchester City.

>Tonali told Sky in Italy last week that De Zerbi had played a "huge role" in his decision to join Tottenham, adding he was moving to London for "lifestyle and family" reasons.

>It is the second-highest fee Newcastle have ever received for a player. The highest was the £125m that Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer.

>It is the second time in the space of a week that Spurs have smashed their transfer record after completing the £85m signing of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham on Tuesday.

>Spurs have now surpassed their previous record spend in a single window, the £225m committed in summer 2023, with the combined £185m outlay on Fernandes and Tonali taking them to £237m for the window.

>Tonali becomes Spurs' six signing of the summer – but De Zerbi's business is not finished yet as he prepares to add to the the forward line after first addressing the defence and midfield.

>Discussing his arrival in north London, Tonali told the club's official website: "I'm very happy to be here. When I arrived at the club, it felt fantastic. People said about there being four or five clubs - there was only one.

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>"I spoke to the head coach 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."

>De Zerbi added: "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."

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>Spurs have already splashed out £52m on defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, while they have also brought in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka all on free transfers.

>The aggressive start to the window signals a big shift in transfer strategy from Spurs following back-to-back 17th-placed Premier League finishes after narrowly escaping relegation on the final day last season.

>The deals for Fernandes and Tonali come after Spurs agreed to sell defender Luka Vuskovic for £50m to Brighton.

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>The Italian midfielder bid farewell to Newcastle in a post on Instagram. He said: "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.

>"I want to start by thanking the club. To the people who work every day and nobody sees at the training ground, everyone who welcomed me and made me feel at home from the very first day. Thank you to the staff and my team-mates for believing in me and helping me grow. A special mention to the gaffer, Eddie, who's been a real guiding figure and who always had my back throughout this journey.

>"But 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.

>"Together, we achieved something this city had been waiting decades for. At Wembley that day, it was special, a historic moment we got to share together. To the fans who never stopped believing, who never stopped cheering for this club, who were there in the hardest times, that trophy was for you.

>"The game brought me to Newcastle. Today I leave with my wife and our son, born during my time here. This city gave me more than football. It gave me a home, moments I'll hold onto forever, and people I will always be grateful for.

>A post shared by Sandro Tonali (@sandrotonali)

>Sky Sports' Paul Merson on Spurs' summer business:

>"Tonali is a very good signing, he is one of my favourite players in the Premier League, he is a proper, proper midfielder.

>"Whenever I've watched Tottenham, I always think they are a bit over-run in midfield, they do not ever dominate games.

>"They've got good centre halves and forwards when they are all fit, but they never dominate the midfield and the manager [Roberto De Zerbi] has come in and highlighted that and he has brought in two very good midfield players.

>I expect them to have a good season next year, but I wonder whether Aston Villa's performance against Tottenham at the end of last season will come back to haunt them. They were comfortably beaten and could arguably have relegated Tottenham with a better result. If the race for the Champions League places comes down to fourth or fifth next season, that match could prove to be a costly missed opportunity.

>"But he [De Zerbi] has bought very well at the moment."

>Newcastle signed Tonali from AC Milan in the summer of 2023 in a £55m deal but are now set to make a £45m profit on him.

>It is understood the club feel the sizeable fee received for Tonali will give them the flexibility to reinforce several areas of the squad with high-potential talent.

>And the sale is already being felt, with Newcastle signing winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim for £42m. He is set to be the first of multiple new signings through the door.

>Newcastle, meanwhile, have not made a bid for Spurs midfielder Archie Gray, according to sources at both clubs.

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>Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge:

>The big change has been the will of the leadership to spend on transfer fees and wages to compete with the top teams. After narrowly missing out on relegation, the message was 'never again'.

>Spurs have qualified for European football in 17 years out of 20. They've had the lowest wages-to-turnover ratio in the league over the last few years.

>They've invested well in the local area in terms of land, building the best stadium. That stadium is arguably one of the best in the world, and it is generating unbelievable revenue.

>The criticism in the past from Spurs fans was that they're not seeing that money being spent on the pitch.

>The promise of the Lewis family, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and non-executive chairman Peter Charrington is that they will be doing this going forward and using the revenue from things like the stadium to improve the first team. That will be a big boost in terms of their spending.

>There will also be sales this summer, which will be required just in terms of creating space in the squad for all these new signings and the fact there will be fewer games to contend with after dropping out of Europe.

>If you look at the players that could go - Lucas Bergvall, Luka Vuskovic, Cristian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr, Richarlison – that could raise a lot of money for Spurs.

>The Lewis family injected £100m into the club this summer – and that takes them up to £200m since 2025 – but that was for the day-to-day running of the club rather than for transfer spending.

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