Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly had a £75m offer for Sandro Tonali rejected by Newcastle United as Roberto De Zerbi pushes for a statement midfield signing.
The 26-year-old Italy international has become one of Spurs’ headline summer targets, with De Zerbi keen to add a deep-lying midfielder capable of controlling games from central areas. Newcastle, however, are said to be holding out for a deal worth closer to £100m.
The fresh update, reported by The Sun’s Tottenham transfer report, claims Manchester City and Arsenal are also monitoring Tonali’s situation, giving Spurs little room for a slow negotiation if they intend to return with an improved bid.
Spurs face an early test of De Zerbi backing
Tottenham have already moved aggressively this summer, with Jan Paul van Hecke agreed and free-agent deals for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi adding experience to the rebuild.
Tonali would be a different level of commitment. Newcastle have him under contract until 2029 and have little incentive to sell cheaply, especially after losing Anthony Gordon to Barcelona earlier in the window.
The decision now is whether Spurs treat the rejected bid as an opening exchange or walk away before the fee climbs into a bracket that could reshape the rest of their transfer window. It is a quick but revealing test of how far Tottenham are prepared to go for De Zerbi’s first-choice midfield profile.
