Tottenham join Arsenal and Man Utd in transfer race for Newcastle's Tonali

Tottenham have entered the race to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, joining Arsenal and Manchester United in pursuing one of the Premier League’s most coveted midfielders ahead of what promises to be a turbulent summer at St James’ Park.

Reports in Italy on Monday night placed Spurs firmly in contention for the 26-year-old, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi — a compatriot of Tonali — understood to be a significant admirer of the playmaker. De Zerbi, who saved Tottenham from relegation this season, has wasted little time shaping his squad, already adding Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively.

Tonali’s name has been circulating since the winter window, when a surprise link to Arsenal first surfaced, only for the player’s agent to publicly cool the speculation. Manchester United subsequently entered the picture, with the Italian identified as one option in their midfield rebuild. Now Tottenham’s addition to the list underlines just how highly regarded Tonali has become since returning from his betting-related ban.

Newcastle’s willingness to sell stems from a difficult 2025-26 campaign that has left the club financially exposed. Any deal for Tonali is expected to surpass the £70 million package Newcastle received when selling Anthony Gordon to Barcelona last month — a transfer that confirmed the club’s readiness to part with key assets.

Gordon is not expected to be the last high-profile departure from St James’ Park this summer. Lewis Hall, Bruno Guimarães, and Tino Livramento have all been linked with moves away in recent weeks, suggesting Newcastle face a significant rebuilding task of their own.

For Tottenham, landing Tonali ahead of Arsenal or Manchester United would represent a genuine statement of ambition — particularly given the club’s own turbulent season. Whether Tonali would favour a move to Spurs over their rivals remains to be seen, but De Zerbi’s appointment has been broadly well received, and the club’s early activity in the transfer market signals they have no intention of standing still.