Tottenham Open Tonali Talks But Sit Third in the Queue for Newcastle's £90m Italian

Tottenham have opened formal talks with Newcastle over a deal for Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, with the Magpies seeking at least £90million for a player contracted until 2029.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi is driving the move personally. But this is no done deal. It is a test of whether Spurs can win a bidding war against richer, more prestigious rivals, and right now they are third in the queue.

De Zerbi drives the move but Spurs are not alone

Tonali sits at the top of Tottenham's midfield shortlist heading into the new season, and De Zerbi is the figure pushing hardest to land him. The Italian connection matters: this would be the marquee signing of his Spurs rebuild and a statement that the club intends to compete at the elite end of the market.

Why this is a credibility test

The problem is the company Tottenham are keeping in this race. Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal have already explored a move for Tonali, while Manchester City remain persistently linked.

Spurs are ambitious, but they are vulnerable. Talking to Newcastle is one thing. Beating two clubs with deeper pockets and bigger trophy cabinets to the signature is another entirely.

Tonali is also interested in a return to Milan, although talkSPORT understands the Italian would be open to joining a London-based club.

That openness to London is the thread Tottenham must pull. If Tonali genuinely fancies the capital, Spurs have a route in. If the money and the prestige decide it, they are exposed.

The £90m question and Newcastle's stance

Newcastle are understood to want at least £90million for Tonali, who only arrived at St James' Park from AC Milan in July 2023. His time on Tyneside was disrupted by a betting ban, but the valuation reflects both his quality and a contract that runs until 2029.

A seller's market for midfielders

That £90m figure does not exist in isolation. The wider midfield market has inflated sharply, and Newcastle know it.

Manchester City have already had two bids rejected for Nottingham Forest's anderson" class="entity-link entity-link--player">Elliot Anderson, their top midfield target. The most recent offer totalled an eye-watering £121m, yet Forest are holding out for a fee that surpasses the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer.

Set against those numbers, £90m for Tonali looks less like a ceiling and more like an opening position. Newcastle have no pressing need to sell and every incentive to wait for a buyer willing to meet their figure.

• Newcastle's asking price: £90m+
• Tonali's contract: runs until 2029
• City's rejected bid for Anderson: £121m
• Last summer's Isak sale: £125m

Tonali's alternatives: Milan, Arsenal and Manchester City

Tottenham's pitch must overcome three competing scenarios, each of them serious.

The Milan homecoming

Tonali is interested in a return to AC Milan, the club where he made his name before the 2023 switch. A homecoming carries obvious emotional pull and would represent a clean route back to Serie A.

Whether Milan can fund a £90m deal is another matter, but the sentiment alone complicates Tottenham's task.

The English heavyweights

Arsenal's prior interest cannot be dismissed. As reigning champions, they offer Champions League football and a title-winning environment that Spurs cannot currently match.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are without a manager following Pep Guardiola's departure but remain cash-rich and aggressive in the market, as their Anderson pursuit demonstrates. A managerless City is still a wealthier proposition than Tottenham.

Spurs' wider midfield plan and the summer so far

Tonali is not the only name on Tottenham's midfield list, and the alternative carries the same warning. Spurs have made enquiries over West Ham's Mateus Fernandes, but again they do not have a clear run.

Fernandes points to United

The 21-year-old looks destined to leave following West Ham's relegation to the Championship. The Hammers value him at £80m despite their second-tier status and need to sell.

Manchester United are favourites here, with the club in advanced talks with Fernandes' agent Jorge Mendes. On both primary targets, then, Tottenham are chasing rather than leading.

A genuine De Zerbi revolution

What Spurs cannot be accused of is inactivity. It has already been a busy summer, and the spending signals real intent.

• Jan Paul van Hecke: centre-back, signed for £52m, confirmed last Thursday
• Andy Robertson: free transfer once his Liverpool contract expires
• Marcos Senesi: free transfer once his Bournemouth contract expires

Robertson, Senesi and Van Hecke are all at the World Cup before they link up. Robertson is leading Scotland in their first appearance since 1998, Senesi was a late call-up to Argentina, and Van Hecke is targeting glory with the Netherlands.

The squad-building is real. The question is whether the chequebook stretches to the marquee name De Zerbi truly wants.

What happens next

The next move belongs to Tottenham. Talks are open, but Newcastle's £90m valuation is firm and Spurs must decide whether they are prepared to commit that kind of fee while richer rivals circle.

Expect the next-club and transfer-completion markets to stay live and crowded. Tonali's stated openness to London keeps Tottenham in the conversation, but Arsenal's prestige, City's wealth and the Milan pull all remain genuine threats.

If Spurs land him, it validates the De Zerbi revolution as the real thing. If he slips away, Tonali becomes another headline target who confirmed Tottenham's ambition without confirming their ability to deliver at the very top of the market.