Tottenham have agreed personal terms with Sandro Tonali, but the deal is still stuck on the fee. Newcastle want more than £100m, Manchester City are also in the picture, and Spurs would have to break their transfer record to get it done. Their current mark is Dominic Solanke at £65m, including add-ons.

The price point Spurs are facing

The fee is the obvious pressure point. One report says Tottenham are prepared to go beyond £100m for Tonali, while another suggested Newcastle had already rejected a formal Spurs offer worth around £80m. Those figures do not sit neatly together, which is why the move still feels open rather than settled.

Spurs have more reason than most to stretch. They finished 17th in the Premier League in 2025/26, and a major midfield signing would fit the scale of a rebuild. Newcastle finished 12th, so the gap between the two clubs is not huge on paper, but the asking price is still being treated like a top-end Premier League deal.

De Zerbi's pull and City's threat

Roberto De Zerbi is being presented as the biggest footballing pull for Spurs. Fraser Fletcher said De Zerbi has already held positive personal discussions with Tonali, and that the midfielder is highly enthusiastic about the prospect of playing under his compatriot and his progressive style of football. Tonali and De Zerbi also have roots close to Brescia, which gives the link a real personal edge rather than just a tactical one.

Manchester City make the picture less comfortable for Spurs. Reports have already put them in the race, and there is talk of a bidding war if they decide to move seriously. That is the part Tottenham cannot control, even if they are willing to push hard on the fee and have already done enough to get personal terms agreed.

Tonali has looked a strong option for Newcastle in the meantime. He has averaged 7.1 across his last 10 appearances and 79.3 minutes per game in that run, which is why this remains a difficult chase rather than a simple one. Spurs have the agreement on the player, but the market around him still looks volatile, with the next step dependent on whether the clubs move closer over the coming days.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →