Tottenham complete club-record £100m signing of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle | OneFootball

Tottenham have significantly bolstered their squad with the club-record signing of midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, marking a substantial escalation in their summer spending.

The agreement between the two Premier League rivals was finalised last Wednesday, with the move officially announced on Monday morning. Spurs are understood to be paying an initial £92.5 million, with an additional £7.5 million in add-ons to take the total fee to £100 million.

Tonali expressed his delight at the transfer, telling the official club website: "I’m very happy to be here. When I arrived at the club today, it felt fantastic. People said about there being four or five clubs – there was only one. I spoke to the head coach (Roberto De Zerbi) for close to two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football. It was like magic because I knew immediately that I had to sign for Tottenham. I’ve played against Tottenham a few times and always found a great atmosphere made by great fans. I can’t wait to start the season."

This record-breaking acquisition follows the £85m deal for Mateus Fernandes announced last Thursday and Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52m arrival from Brighton earlier in the summer, bringing Tottenham’s total expenditure to £237m. Free agents Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, and Marcos Senesi have also joined.

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Tonali was at the top of Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi’s wishlist (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)

Tonali, aged 26, was at the top of De Zerbi’s wishlist and is seen as a statement signing to complete the club’s midfield revamp.

De Zerbi praised his new recruit, stating: "Sandro is a special player and a great signing for our club. I have followed him for a long time, as he came through the youth system at my hometown club, Brescia, and I’m so happy to be working with him now. Given his qualities, there was a lot of interest in Sandro this summer. However, he was very clear in his desire to join Tottenham, and I know our fans will love what he brings to the team."

Tonali began his career at Brescia before moving to AC Milan in 2020. Three years later, the Italian giants allowed the popular midfielder to join Newcastle for a significant fee. His time at St James’ Park was notably interrupted by a worldwide 10-month ban from football for breaching betting regulations during his tenure in Italy. Upon his return, he played a key role in Newcastle’s Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley, but will now continue his English chapter with Spurs.

In an emotional Instagram post, Tonali bid farewell to Newcastle fans: "Three years ago I came to Newcastle not really knowing what to expect. Today it’s time to say goodbye and it’s hard to find the right words. Above all, I want to speak directly to the fans. When things were hard for me, you were there. Not for one day did I feel alone. I felt it every time I was at St James’ Park. That’s something I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

After back-to-back 17th place finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham’s previously stringent financial model appears to have been abandoned this summer by majority owners the Lewis family.

Despite regularly boasting the lowest wages-to-revenue ratio among domestic rivals, at 45 per cent for the 2024-25 campaign, and revenue streams exceeding £500m – partly due to non-football events at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the north London club has relaxed its rigid wage structure and broken its transfer record twice.

Tonali is not expected to be the final arrival, with attacking reinforcements now a key focus, and interest understood to be in Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi.