Tottenham Hotspur are now vying for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, with manager Roberto De Zerbi identifying the Italian international as a top priority for his midfield rebuild. The 26-year-old, who has made 110 appearances for Newcastle and helped them win the 2025-26 League Cup, is seen by De Zerbi as an ideal candidate to improve the technical quality of the squad and bring control to the centre of the pitch.
Manchester United had made the early running for Tonali but are understood to have stepped back amid the escalating costs of the transfer combined with his wages. Manchester City and Arsenal have also shown interest, with Arsenal maintaining dialogue since January. City, however, are advancing in discussions for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson — a deal expected to cost over £100 million — and view Tonali as their back-up option. Newcastle are reluctant to sell and would only consider a huge fee; Tonali’s contract runs until 2029, with an option for a further year to 2030, and contains no release clause, strengthening the club’s negotiating position. Any deal for Tonali would likely exceed the £70 million package Newcastle received from Barcelona for Anthony Gordon, who has since left the club. Reports in April suggested Tonali himself might be open to a new challenge this summer, and Newcastle may need to sell key stars to fund a squad rebuild after what has been described as a chastening 2025-26 campaign. De Zerbi faces a tough sell given Spurs will not compete in European competition next season, but hopes are that the north London club can at least tempt both Newcastle and the player into a move.
Midfield rebuild
The pursuit of Tonali is driven by significant upheaval in Tottenham’s engine room. Yves Bissouma will leave on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the month. Xavi Simons will miss the majority of next season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury towards the end of this campaign — a blow that will also rule him out of the World Cup, with a recovery period of approximately eight months. On top of that, Joao Palhinha is returning to parent club Bayern Munich after his loan spell in north London. The Portuguese midfielder scored vital winning goals against Wolves and Everton in the run-in, and De Zerbi has recommended that the club keep him. “Joao is a great example,” said the Italian. “He’s on loan with us but he’s one of the first players to start here, and as we look to rebuild next season.” Palhinha is also wanted by former club Sporting. With three midfielders departing or sidelined, the current options include Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Pape Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur. De Zerbi is said to have confidence in extracting elite performance from Carlos Baleba, though dealing with Brighton is known to be difficult, while Sporting’s Morten Hjulmand and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton remain on the club’s transfer shortlist.
Defensive moves
Spurs’ summer rebuild is already well underway at the back. Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have joined on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively. Pedro Porro has signed a new four-year contract extension that runs until 2031; the right-back joined from Sporting in January 2023 for £40 million and made 47 appearances across all competitions last season. Ben Davies has also signed a one-year extension following surgery for a broken ankle in January. Tottenham are pursuing Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, with Brighton having rejected two bids and valuing the defender at approximately £70 million. Van Hecke is believed to be keen on a reunion with De Zerbi. Meanwhile, Brighton have made a clever move of their own, posing the question of where highly-rated Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic fits into De Zerbi’s plans after submitting a £30 million bid for the 19-year-old. Spurs are reluctant to sell and value Vuskovic at £60 million. The Croatian, who spent last season on loan at Hamburg, scored six league goals — more than any other central defender in the Bundesliga — and was named in the division’s team of the season. He is currently at the World Cup with Croatia. Despite interest from Barcelona, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, Vuskovic is said to be keen on a move to Brighton and has a verbal agreement with Fabian Hurzeler’s side; Hurzeler, the youngest manager in Premier League history, has signed a new contract with Brighton until 2029 and cites De Zerbi as a coaching influence.
