Sandro Tonali Impresses Roberto De Zerbi at Spurs

Roberto De Zerbi did not bother dressing it up. “Sandro Tonali is better than I thought.”

For a manager who chooses his words carefully, that is a heavy compliment. It also lands at a club that has just smashed through the £300million barrier in one summer, with Tottenham’s spending set to climb again once the deal for Savinho from Manchester City – £75m plus up to £10m in add-ons – is finally completed.

Yet amid all that outlay, one figure still stands out. £100m. That is what Spurs paid Newcastle for Tonali, a club-record fee and a statement that this rebuild runs straight through the heart of midfield.

This is not a relationship built on a scouting report or a highlight reel. De Zerbi and Tonali share roots. Both are tied to Brescia, the city that shaped them. It is where De Zerbi grew up and where Tonali spent nine formative years, rising through the youth ranks and into the first team. The bond runs deeper than a handshake at the training ground.

So when De Zerbi was asked on Friday for his first impressions after a few weeks working with the Italy international, the answer came quickly.

“Sandro Tonali is better than I thought,” he said. “He is better than I thought before working with him as a player and as a guy.

“I know his family, his agents, and I know they all are good people.

“I’m very happy to work with him and I think he’s the right player in the right place. Especially because we want to put him inside of the project.

“He has the right qualities, the right personality, the right values, to stay in this place.”

The numbers from last season with Newcastle hardly scream “record signing”. Thirty-two Premier League appearances, no goals. On paper, it is a modest return.

Spurs have not paid for the stat sheet. They have paid for the profile. Tonali’s reputation as a balanced, intelligent midfielder – someone who can stitch a team together, control tempo, and carry responsibility without fuss – persuaded Tottenham to go all in on a 26-year-old who still feels some way from his ceiling.

De Zerbi clearly believes he can reach it in north London. And with that kind of price tag and that kind of trust, Tonali will not be allowed to stay in the shadows for long.