Record-Breaking Midfield Deal
Tottenham Secures Sandro Tonali from Newcastle in £100 Million Club-Record Midfield Deal
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Key Points
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Tonali's transfer could reach £100m total with add-ons linked to Spurs' Champions League qualifications, and wages could rise to around £275,000 per week on a six-year contract, according to The Guardian.
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Tottenham's summer spree extends beyond Tonali, with Mateus Fernandes (€85m) and Jan Paul van Hecke (£52m) among the new arrivals, plus signings like Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, contributing to an overall spend reported around £237m for the window.
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Tonali will wear the No.16 shirt at Tottenham, a number with a long Spurs lineage, having been worn by players such as Gareth Bale and Luka Vuskovic in recent times.
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Tonali's Newcastle spell included a high-profile 10-month ban for betting violations, yet he evolved into a key figure for Eddie Howe and left as a cult hero after helping end the club's trophy drought by lifting the Carabao Cup in 2025.
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Newcastle reportedly had an around £80m bid for Tonali rejected before Tottenham finalised the deal at £92.5m upfront with £7.5m in add-ons, according to TeamTalk.
Tottenham Hotspur have signed Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United in a club-record deal worth up to £100 million, according to Yahoo Sports. The 26-year-old Italian midfielder joins for an upfront fee of £92.5 million, with a further £7.5 million in add-ons tied to Champions League qualification. It is the biggest transfer in Spurs' history — broken for the second time in less than a week.
Tonali will wear the No. 16 shirt and sign a six-year contract worth at least £275,000 per week, IBTimes reports. The deal is the centrepiece of a £237 million summer rebuild under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who took charge in March 2026 after Spurs survived relegation on the final day of the season.
A Two-Hour Conversation That Felt 'Like Magic'
Tonali said one conversation with De Zerbi convinced him to choose Spurs over all other suitors. "I spoke to the Head Coach for close to two hours about the Club, the fans, the stadium, and our football," Tonali told Tottenham's club media. "It was like magic because I knew immediately that I had to sign for Tottenham." He added that despite reported interest from four or five clubs, "there was only one" real option in his mind.
De Zerbi and Tonali share a connection from the Brescia youth system in Italy. The coach called Tonali "a special player" and said he had "followed him for a long time." Sporting Director Johan Lange described the Italian as "one of the best midfielders in Europe" with "outstanding technical quality" and the "character to thrive in a high-pressure environment."
Newcastle Reject £80m Before Spurs Land Record Deal
The transfer did not come easily. Newcastle rejected an opening Tottenham bid of around £80 million before the two clubs agreed on the final £92.5 million upfront package, according to TeamTalk via IBTimes. That means Spurs paid roughly double the £55 million Newcastle spent to sign Tonali from AC Milan in July 2023. Newcastle receive up to a £45 million profit on a player who missed nearly a year due to a betting ban.
On Instagram, Tonali posted a farewell to Newcastle fans. "When things were hard for me, you were there," he wrote. "Not for one day did I feel alone." His Newcastle spell included a 10-month worldwide ban for betting violations handed down by the Italian Football Federation in October 2023. Despite that, he made 110 appearances and scored 10 goals for the club.
Tonali Leaves as a Cup-Winning Cult Hero
Tonali ends his Newcastle career on a high. On March 16, 2025, he played a key role as Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup. It ended the club's 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy. Tonali saved his warmest words for manager Eddie Howe, calling him "a real guiding figure" who "always had my back."
The £92.5 million fee gives Newcastle a huge financial boost. Local reports indicate the funds will help the club meet Profit and Sustainability Rules for several years. Newcastle can now reinvest in new targets without financial pressure. Howe loses a key player, but gains significant room to reshape his squad.
Spurs Shatter Their Wage Cap in a £237m Summer Spree
Tonali is just one part of a sweeping rebuild at Spurs. Before his arrival, the club signed Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for £52 million and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85 million, Blaze Trends reports. Free agents Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Martin Dubravka also joined. Total spending for the window now sits at around £237 million.
Tonali's £275,000-per-week basic wage breaks Tottenham's previous £200,000 salary ceiling. Performance bonuses could push his pay to £300,000 per week, according to Yahoo Sports. That may trigger renegotiation demands from other star players. Critics on talkSPORT argued Spurs "overpaid by a good £20 million." But after back-to-back 17th-place finishes, the club has chosen to spend big rather than face another relegation scare.
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