Tottenham Targets Sandro Tonali to Strengthen Midfield

Tottenham are ready to test Newcastle’s resolve over Sandro Tonali, with Roberto De Zerbi pushing hard to make the Italian the heartbeat of his rebuilt midfield this summer.

The Spurs head coach, fresh from dragging the club away from the relegation trapdoor, wants more than just survival now. He wants control. And in his eyes, Tonali is the man to give it to him.

De Zerbi’s statement target

One of Tottenham’s main objectives in this window is clear: raise the technical ceiling of the squad and bring in a midfielder who can dictate games, not just survive them. De Zerbi wants a conductor, someone who can take the ball under pressure, set the tempo and drag the team up the pitch.

Tonali has been marked out as that player. The 24-year-old is already regarded as one of the Premier League’s standout midfielders, a rare blend of bite and brain, and De Zerbi sees him as the ideal fulcrum for his possession-heavy, high-risk style.

This is not a name floated by a recruitment department in isolation. The Italian coach will have a major say in transfers this summer, and a serious move for Tonali would be a loud message from the Tottenham board: they are prepared to back De Zerbi with big money and big responsibility.

Newcastle hold the cards

Getting Tonali out of St James’ Park, though, is another matter entirely.

Newcastle do not want to lose him. He is under contract until 2029, a long-term commitment agreed in 2024 while he was serving a 10‑month gambling ban. Crucially, that deal contains no release clause, giving Newcastle a powerful hand at the negotiating table.

They would only even consider a sale for a huge fee. In a market already inflated for midfielders, “huge” this summer could mean something close to the very top end of Premier League spending.

There is, however, a backdrop to all this. As reported in April, there has been a general understanding that Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento might all be open to a new challenge this summer. Gordon has already made that leap, swapping Tyneside for Barcelona in a £69m deal. Tonali could be the next major name to draw serious offers.

A midfielder everyone wants

Tottenham are not alone in admiring Tonali. He has sat high on the recruitment lists of Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.

Right now, though, the landscape gives Spurs a window.

City and United have turned their attention elsewhere. City are in talks with Nottingham Forest over Elliot Anderson in a deal expected to climb beyond £100m, a move that underlines just how scarce top-level midfielders have become. United, meanwhile, have agreed a deal with Atalanta for Ederson and are now working on a move for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.

Those priorities could leave Spurs with a clearer run at Tonali than they might otherwise have expected. But it also means Newcastle know exactly how valuable an elite midfielder is in this market. City’s push for Anderson will only harden their stance on price.

Spurs’ rebuild gathers pace

Tottenham have not waited for the window to drift by. They have already moved quickly to reshape the spine of the squad, snapping up centre-back Marcos Senesi and left-back Andy Robertson on free transfers. Both signings hint at De Zerbi’s plan: defenders who can play, not just clear their lines.

He still wants more at the back. Spurs remain in the hunt for another defender and are pursuing Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke, a player comfortable stepping into midfield and defending on the front foot.

Brighton, in turn, have looked at Spurs’ talent. They have lodged a £30m bid for teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic. The 19-year-old impressed on loan at Hamburg and is keen on the move, seeing Brighton as a platform to grow. Tottenham, though, are unlikely to accept the current offer and know they hold one of Europe’s most highly regarded young defenders.

Building a De Zerbi team

Across the squad, the theme is the same: this is now De Zerbi’s project.

He wants a team that can dominate the ball, play through pressure and hurt opponents from multiple angles. Finding a central midfielder who can run games is central to that vision, which is why Tonali sits at the top of the list.

There are other fires to fight. Spurs have spent a year trying to line up a long-term successor to Heung‑Min Son on the wing and have been knocked back in moves for Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo. Manchester City’s Savinho is among the wide players under consideration now, another sign of the club targeting high-upside, technically sharp attackers.

De Zerbi also wants another striker, ideally someone who can operate across the front line. Last season’s injury crisis exposed how thin Spurs were in attack; he does not intend to be caught short again. Flexibility in the front three is no luxury in his system, it is a requirement.

The goalkeeping situation could yet add another layer to the rebuild. Guglielmo Vicario is on Juventus’ list as they weigh up a move, with Inter having shown interest previously. If Vicario returns to Italy, Spurs will be forced back into the market for a No 1, despite Antonin Kinsky impressing and keeping the shirt during the run‑in under De Zerbi.

A defining move?

So the picture is clear. Tottenham are reshaping the squad, piece by piece, around a demanding head coach with a clear idea of how he wants to play. They have started with defence, are probing the market for attackers, and may yet need a new goalkeeper.

But everything, right now, circles back to the middle of the pitch.

If Spurs can prise Sandro Tonali away from Newcastle, it would not just be another signing. It would be the defining move of their summer, the transfer that shows whether Tottenham are serious about stepping back into the Premier League’s elite – or content to watch someone else seize the initiative.