Tottenham's pursuit of Sandro Tonali has moved well beyond casual interest. Spurs had an offer in the £75 million to £80 million range rejected by Newcastle, and the asking price now being discussed is around £100 million, with wages becoming part of the negotiation too. David Ornstein said Tottenham are trying to get to a place where they can do a deal on salary, and that the package would take them into an area they have not used to going before.

Newcastle's price and Tonali's contract

Ornstein's read is that Newcastle accept Tonali could leave if the money is right, but they want around £100 million and a very significant salary demand on top. Tonali is under contract at St. James' Park until June 2028, which gives Newcastle a strong position in talks. They have also been reported to be in fresh talks with Spurs as Tottenham try to reduce the asking price.

Newcastle's stance is helped by the fact that this is not a need-to-sell situation on the player side. The club can point to the contract and the fee they want, while Tottenham are the ones trying to stretch into new territory. Spurs' current highest reported salary is £195,000, so any serious package for Tonali would sit above their usual ceiling.

Why Spurs think the move is worth it

The football case is there as well. According to Squawka using Opta data, Tonali last season completed more forward passes, created more chances, won more ground duels and retrieved possession more than Conor Gallagher, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray, all of whom played over 1000 Premier League minutes. That does not make the deal cheap, but it does show why Tottenham are treating him as more than just another big-name target.

Tonali's recent league form is steady too. He has a 7.2 rating across his last five Premier League matches, and he has averaged 84 minutes in that run. Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League in 2025, so the push for a midfielder of this level is hardly hard to understand. The size of the fee is the real obstacle, not the logic of the move.

With Newcastle holding at around £100 million and Spurs already testing the water with a rejected bid, this one looks set for more negotiation before anything is settled.

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