Tottenham Hotspur have pulled off the coup of the summer with the blockbuster signing of Sandro Tonali, securing a club-record deal worth £100m from Newcastle United. The Italian international's arrival in North London marks a major statement of intent from Spurs, who are looking to bounce back from their relegation scare last season.
Tonali, 26, was effusive in his praise for Tottenham, revealing that he had a 'magic' conversation with head coach Roberto de Zerbi that sealed the deal. The midfielder, who spent three seasons at St James' Park, lavished praise on the atmosphere created by Spurs fans, having witnessed it firsthand during previous matches against the club.
Despite facing a 10-month ban from the Italian Football Federation for breaching betting rules, Tonali returned to Newcastle and became a crucial player, contributing to their Carabao Cup victory in 2025. His time at AC Milan ended with a £55m move to Newcastle in July 2023, before making St James' Park his home – or so it seemed.
For Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi, Tonali is a 'special player', one he has followed since the midfielder's youth days at Brescia. The Italian coach was over the moon to have landed the Italy international, describing him as having 'outstanding technical quality' and 'real football intelligence'. Sporting director Johan Lange echoed those sentiments, confident that Tonali will thrive in a high-pressure environment.
This signing is part of a frenetic summer at Tottenham, who have also secured Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85m and brought in defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers. The club's spending spree, which could reach £237m this summer, has been facilitated by the new squad-cost ratio rules (SCR) and the enhanced revenue generated by their modern stadium – a venue that hosts numerous non-football events.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes Tottenham's ability to spend up to 85% of their revenue on player costs, combined with a significant increase in matchday and commercial income from their new stadium, gives them a licence to spend big under the SCR regime. The writing is on the wall – Spurs are on the march, and they're not going anywhere fast.