Tottenham Hotspur have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, but both clubs may be reluctant to meet Newcastle’s valuation.
Fabrizio Romano broke the news on Monday night that Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, with Roberto de Zerbi keen to sign the midfielder this summer.
David Ornstein has since confirmed for The Athletic that Spurs have held positive talks with Tonali’s camp over a potential move, though they’re yet to make contact with Newcastle.
Spurs are ready to push hard for the deal, and they’re the most advanced club in the race, though the potential transfer fee is considered a challenge.
James McNicholas had reported for The Athletic earlier in the day that Mikel Arteta remains a fan of Tonali, but added that the midfielder’s long contract means a deal may prove prohibitively expensive.
Ornstein confirms that Tonali has attracted interest from Arsenal and Manchester City, adding that Andrea Berta contacted the player’s agent in the January transfer window. But Newcastle were unwilling to do business, and the asking price was beyond Arsenal’s budget at that time.
The price doesn’t seem to have gone down since then, but Newcastle appear open to doing a deal if someone does meet their valuation.
If Arsenal want to sign Tonali, there’s really no reason why he would end up at Spurs. The Gunners have Champions League football, they’re the Premier League champions, and they have a big summer budget as a result of their successful season.
But if Newcastle are asking too much, perhaps back-to-back 17th-place finishers Spurs are the more desperate club. Maybe they’d consider overpaying where the likes of Arsenal and City would refuse.
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