Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United in a deal worth €115m, making the 26-year-old the most expensive Italian footballer in history.
Spurs confirmed the arrival of the former AC Milan playmaker at the end of July, announcing the transfer on X and describing Tonali as "a tenacious, creative and energetic figure across the midfield". The fee eclipses the previous benchmark for an Italian player, the €68m Al Qadsiah paid Atalanta for Mateo Retegui just over a year ago.
Tonali leaves St James' Park after three seasons in which he became one of the Premier League's most consistent midfielders, scoring ten goals and providing ten assists in 110 appearances in all competitions. He won the Carabao Cup during his time on Tyneside and, before that, lifted the Serie A title with Milan in 2021-22, the Rossoneri's first scudetto since 2011.
Born in Lodi, Tonali came through the youth ranks at Lombardia Uno and Piacenza before joining Brescia in 2012. He made his professional debut in August 2017 and was named Serie B's Player of the Season in consecutive campaigns, playing a central role in Brescia's promotion to Serie A in 2018-19.
An Italy international since 2019, Tonali has scored four goals in 32 caps for the Azzurri. At Tottenham he will link up with head coach Roberto De Zerbi, and the midfielder has explained why the move appealed: "When you speak with a team, the first impression is a big thing and my impression was very positive," he said, adding: "When you are happy after a 10-minute chat, it’s everything, everything is perfect."
Tonali described Spurs as "the best solution" for his career and his family, revealing he held talks with two clubs before making his choice. He also admitted that a return to Italy was not financially possible given the size of the fee.
Tottenham have landed a statement signing as they rebuild under De Zerbi, with Tonali expected to anchor the midfield at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season.
Sources
- https://football-italia.net/official-italy-tonali-join-tottenham-newcastle/ — Football Italia: Official — Tonali joins Tottenham from Newcastle in €115m deal
- https://football-italia.net/tonali-says-tottenham-were-the-best-solution/ — Football Italia: Tonali says Tottenham were "the best solution"
