Tottenham have entered the Sandro Tonali race, and Newcastle are already setting a high bar for any club that wants to test them. TEAMtalk say the asking price starts at £100million, while Fabrizio Romano has put the package at around €100million, or about £85million. Either way, this is being priced as a major summer deal, not a loose enquiry.

Why Tottenham believe this is possible

Romano says Tonali is open to joining Tottenham, even without European football, and that the midfielder is attracted by the project. That matters because the pitch is not being built on Champions League promises. Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League on 41 points, so the appeal has to come from the rebuild itself.

Tonali also has the kind of record that explains why rival clubs are circling. He has made 110 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists. Those are the numbers of a player who has already settled into Premier League life, not someone clubs are buying on projection alone. He is under contract at Newcastle until summer 2028, which gives the selling club the upper hand unless Tottenham decide the fee is worth it.

Newcastle are not in a hurry

Newcastle’s stance is clear enough. They would only begin to consider a sale if offers exceed £100million, and TEAMtalk also report that Tonali’s camp have told the club he is keen to move on, with a return to Italy his preferred option if he leaves St James' Park. That is the real wrinkle here. Spurs are in the race, but the player’s preference does not point cleanly toward north London.

Newcastle are also treating this summer differently after the Alexander Isak situation left them scrambling for solutions and weakened their negotiating position. That does not guarantee a harder line on every player, but it does explain why they are standing firm on Tonali now. The club have already watched one situation become awkward enough without making it easy again.

Romano’s line on the fee is useful because it shows how expensive this still looks even before negotiations start. If Tottenham are serious, they are not just competing with Arsenal and Manchester City, who were also linked before Spurs stepped in. They are also dealing with Newcastle’s contract position and the possibility that Tonali is not short of alternatives.

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