Tonali agrees personal terms with Spurs as £90m Newcastle exit edges closer

Sandro Tonali is closing in on a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, with the Newcastle United midfielder having reportedly agreed personal terms on a deal worth £10.3m per year through to 2032, according to Italian transfers journalist Nico Schira.

Spurs have already had an initial approach turned down by Newcastle but are expected to return with a second offer said to exceed €100m (£86m). The 26-year-old is understood to be open to leaving St. James’ Park, with new Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi — a fellow Italian — believed to have played a significant role in persuading Tonali to make the move.

The potential departure would represent Newcastle’s second major sale of the summer, following Anthony Gordon’s reported £70m switch to Barcelona ahead of England’s World Cup campaign.

Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan in the summer of 2023 for £55m but made only a handful of appearances at the start of the 2023/24 season before a betting scandal resulted in a suspension that kept him out of all footballing activity for several months. The club stood by their signing throughout, and upon his return after ten months on the sidelines, Tonali quickly cemented himself as a cornerstone of Eddie Howe’s midfield.

Over two seasons, the Italy international has made 98 appearances across all competitions, attracting interest from Manchester City, Arsenal, and Manchester United in addition to Spurs.

Tottenham’s summer business does not appear to stop with Tonali. West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes is also reportedly on the verge of an £85m move to north London following the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League. The flurry of signings reflects Spurs’ determination to avoid a third consecutive season battling at the wrong end of the table.