Sandro Tonali set to join Tottenham in £100m deal after agreement reached with Newcastle

Tottenham Hotspur are poised to shatter their transfer record for the second time in as many days having agreed a deal to sign Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali . The move for the Italy international follows hot on the heels of Tuesday's agreement for Mateus Fernandes from West Ham. Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi had identified the 26-year-old Tonali as a priority summer acquisition. Despite significant interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, Tonali has opted to join his compatriot in north London. The agreement for Tonali is understood to be an initial £92.5 million, with an additional £7.5 million in performance-related add-ons. This substantial investment is set to finalise Tottenham's midfield overhaul, building on the earlier acquisition of Fernandes. These significant financial outlays signal a notable shift in strategy for Spurs. Under chairman Daniel Levy, the club has historically been known for a more rigid wage structure and a reluctance to outspend rival clubs in the transfer market, a policy that now appears to be evolving. Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi made Italy international Tonali a crucial summer target (Mike Egerton/PA) However, Tottenham’s majority owners the Lewis family promised to fund the required rebuild this summer, after they invited Levy to step down in September, and have stayed true to their word with De Zerbi set to have six new additions before his players return for pre-season later in July. De Zerbi masterminded Premier League safety for Spurs on the final day of the 2025-26 season with three wins during his seven matches in charge and demanded that lessons would be learned. The experienced trio of Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka arrived on free transfers and £52m was spent to bring in Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton. Fernandes will follow from West Ham in an £85m move and Tonali will be the next through the door in N17 after Tottenham were able to strike a deal with Newcastle on Wednesday. Reports earlier in the day suggested the Magpies had bid for Spurs midfielder Archie Gray, but PA understands they are wide of the mark and the England Under-21 international is subsequently not involved in Tonali’s transfer. One player set to leave Tottenham is young centre-back Luka Vuskovic after an agreement was reached with Brighton. Vuskovic signed for Spurs in 2023 at the age of 16 for £12m and despite failing to make a competitive appearance for the club, the Croatian defender has developed a reputation as one of the brightest young talents in Europe across multiple loan spells. With plenty of competition in the centre-back position at Tottenham, Vuskovic made clear his desire to play first-team football and felt Premier League rivals Brighton could provide that. PA understands Brighton will spend £46m to sign Vuskovic with an achievable £4m in add-ons part of an overall £50m package plus a 20 per cent sell-on clause for Spurs along with the ability to match any future bids for the 19-year-old.