Tonali edges closer to Spurs as De Zerbi’s rebuild goes up a gear

Tottenham are not messing about. Roberto De Zerbi asked for reinforcements and the Spurs hierarchy have duly rolled up their sleeves. Three deals banked, a fourth looming, and a proper statement of intent on the horizon: Sandro Tonali has agreed personal terms to join the north Londoners on a long-term contract.

Personal terms agreed – now comes the hard part

With interest from Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United swirling, Tottenham have moved decisively for the Newcastle United midfielder. Fabrizio Romano flagged Spurs’ push, and a well-placed Tottenham voice on X has claimed Tonali, 26, is on board with the project. The next hurdle is the big one: agreeing a fee with Newcastle, with respected reporter Ben Jacobs indicating the total package could climb to around £100m.

If Spurs can get this over the line, it’s the sort of marquee signing that flips the mood music overnight – from punchline to powerhouse-in-waiting.

De Zerbi’s blueprint: fix the back door, then upgrade the engine room

Let’s be frank: Spurs have been too easy to play against, shipping 183 goals across their last three Premier League campaigns. De Zerbi’s first order of business has been to shore it up. In come free-agent duo Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, while Jan Paul van Hecke is set to join after the World Cup following a £52m agreement with Brighton. That’s experience, bite and composure added across the line.

But the midfield is the heartbeat of any De Zerbi side, and Tonali fits the brief: press-resistant, snappy in the tackle, with the range to punch passes through lines and the legs to arrive on the edge of the box. Add that to the existing push to make Joao Palhinha’s loan permanent, and you can see the spine being rebuilt in De Zerbi’s image.

Puzzle pieces in midfield: who stays, who makes way?

Here’s where it gets spicy. If Spurs land both Palhinha and Tonali, someone is bound to be squeezed. Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall already jostle for minutes. Sarr has been linked with a move, while one of Gray or Bergvall could well be sent out to play regular football if the pathway clogs up. It’s a good problem, but still a problem.

And don’t forget the wide areas: talks are ongoing for Manchester City’s Savinho, which would add another direct runner to complement De Zerbi’s possession patterns. The squad would suddenly look balanced, deep, and – whisper it – menacing.

Why Tonali changes the conversation

Tonali’s game is wonderfully complete for a modern Premier League midfield: aggression without rashness, tempo-setting distribution, and a shot that keeps goalkeepers honest. You can plant him as a No 6, let him shuttle as an 8, or pair him with a destroyer like Palhinha and watch the platform transform. That flexibility is priceless over a 50-game slog.

For a fanbase that took its fair share of stick last season, this would be a riposte worth savouring. Drop Tonali into a sturdier backline, give De Zerbi the control he craves, and Spurs suddenly look like a side that can impose themselves rather than simply react.

The market watch and what comes next

Personal terms are one thing; prising an asset from Tyneside is another. Newcastle will drive a hard bargain, so expect clauses, add-ons and all the usual brinkmanship. Still, Spurs have set their stall out. The intent is there, the player is willing, and the rest is hard graft and sharp negotiating.

Tracking the chatter and the odds as this saga twists and turns? Our hub for best betting sites keeps the smart punters plugged into the latest market moves.

Bottom line

Three signings already through the door, talks for Palhinha and Savinho ticking along, and now Tonali agreeing terms. For once, the momentum is unmistakably with Tottenham. Land the Italian midfield general and this summer goes from tidy to transformative – and the rest of the Premier League will sit up and take notice.