Tottenham agree club-record £100m deal for Newcastle star Sandro Tonali

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly agreed a club-record £100 million ($133 million) deal to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, in what would be the biggest transfer in the club’s history.

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi appears to have won the race for his fellow Italian despite strong interest from Premier League champions Arsenal, north London rivals, and Manchester City.

Reports on Wednesday said Tottenham will pay an initial £92.5 million, with a further £7.5 million in performance-related add-ons, to secure the 26-year-old’s signature.

Tonali’s arrival comes just a day after Spurs agreed a deal to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, completing a major overhaul of their midfield ahead of the new season.

The high-profile acquisitions signal a dramatic change in Tottenham’s transfer strategy after years of operating under a relatively conservative financial model.

The Lewis family, the club’s majority owners, pledged to finance a squad rebuild after former chairman Daniel Levy stepped down in September, and they appear to be delivering on that promise.

De Zerbi, who guided Spurs to Premier League safety on the final day of last season following a turbulent campaign, has already strengthened his squad with the free-signing trio of Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Martin Dúbravka. The club also spent a reported £52 million to sign Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.

Fernandes is expected to arrive in a separate deal worth £85 million.

Tonali looking to rebuild after betting ban

Tonali’s career was interrupted by a 10-month worldwide ban for breaching football betting regulations.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) sanctioned the midfielder in October 2023 after he admitted placing bets on football matches during his time in Italy, violating rules governing competitions organised by the FIGC, UEFA and FIFA.

Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July 2023 in a £55 million transfer but had made only 12 appearances for the Magpies before serving his suspension.

In May 2024, he received an additional suspended two-month ban after admitting to further breaches of the English Football Association’s betting rules.