After fighting relegation in the last two seasons, Tottenham Hotspur have signalled their ambition to avoid another battle at the bottom end of the table.
Despite interest from Manchester City and Arsenal, Tottenham managed to secure the signing of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, Transfer News Blitz‘s Joseph Kan’gethe reports.
They secured the Italian’s signature in a blockbuster deal worth a reported £100 million, with Tonali signing a contract that keeps him at the club until June 2032.
Tonali and Roberto De Zerbi share a unique footballing connection rooted in the midfielder’s boyhood club, Brescia, where De Zerbi also started his footballing journey.
How Tonali fits Tottenham’s midfield
Tonali was signed to become the midfielder around whom De Zerbi can build his team.
Tottenham’s £100 million investment in the Italian represents a major rebuild of their central midfield, aimed at improving the team’s control in matches.
They bought a midfielder they believe can connect the team, linking defence with attack while helping Spurs win possession back.
His time at Newcastle showed how composed Tonali can be under pressure, using his first touch to escape tight spaces and move his team forward rather than simply passing sideways.
He is also excellent at moving forward with the ball, switching play with diagonal passes towards the full-backs and dropping between the centre-backs when Tottenham need to build patiently from the back.
His defensive contributions are equally important. Tonali covers large areas of the pitch, protects the defence and can immediately press or recover his position when possession is lost.
That versatility matters for Roberto De Zerbi.
De Zerbi wants his teams to build patiently from the back, drawing opponents towards the ball before exploiting the spaces that open up behind the first line of pressure.
Tonali provides Tottenham with a midfielder who can remain composed when opponents close him down, then immediately react when the ball is lost, using his pace and stamina to help win it back.
This could allow Tottenham’s more attack-minded midfielders to move higher up the pitch without leaving the defence exposed.
That is a major reason Tottenham were willing to pay so much for him.
Tonali can connect different parts of the team, dropping between the centre-backs one moment, driving his team forward the next, and helping to win the ball back once possession is lost.
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Tonali alongside Tottenham’s current midfielders
Tonali’s arrival reshapes Tottenham’s midfield, giving the players around him more freedom to play to their strengths.
With Tonali anchoring the midfield, Mateus Fernandes can push forward as the No. 8 while James Maddison operates higher up as the No.10.
This setup gives the midfield clear responsibilities, with each player occupying a different role instead of three midfielders competing for the same spaces.
Tonali would be the player who balances the structure.
That allows Fernandes to advance into the final third without leaving a dangerous gap behind him.
Fernandes’ role would no longer be about sitting deep alongside Tonali.
Instead, he can focus on finding spaces further up the pitch, supporting attacks and linking with Maddison around the edge of the box.
Maddison is then given more freedom to play closer to the centre-forward, picking up the ball in pockets behind the opposition’s midfield and looking to unlock the defence with his passing.
The real test for the rest of the midfield comes whenever Tonali moves into attacking areas.
Fernandes can drop back alongside Tonali or cover the space behind him, helping to maintain protection in front of the centre-backs.
This setup allows Tottenham to flood the area around the ball with plenty of bodies without completely leaving themselves open to dangerous counter-attacks the moment they lose possession.
It also gives De Zerbi a midfield where all three players have different responsibilities, with Tonali providing the base, Fernandes supplying the movement, and Maddison pulling the strings further forward.
De Zerbi also gets a tactical advantage by spreading Tottenham’s midfield across different areas of the pitch instead of crowding three players into the same space.
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Why was Tottenham the right club for Tonali?
Tottenham gave Tonali the chance to begin a new chapter in his career without moving his family away from England.
He had spent three years establishing himself on Tyneside, but this move gave him a new environment, a new manager, and a team built around a different ambition.
Tonali had initially considered returning to Italy, but the fee that Newcastle United demanded put off Serie A clubs, leaving Tottenham as the option that suited him both professionally and personally.
The North London club also made it clear how much they wanted him by agreeing to a fee worth a reported £100 million, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.
That massive investment is a huge statement because it tells Tonali how important he is to the club’s future.
Tottenham have positioned him as the focal point of their rebuild.
His family also had a say in the decision, with Tonali describing the move as a choice of “life and family.”
There was never just one reason behind the move, but when it came to the footballing decision, De Zerbi was the decisive factor.
