Tottenham Targets Sandro Tonali for Midfield Rebuild

Tottenham are aiming high in midfield. Very high.

Sandro Tonali, one of the Premier League’s most gifted controllers of a game, has emerged as a leading target for Roberto De Zerbi as the Italian begins a full-scale reconstruction of Spurs’ squad this summer.

De Zerbi’s blueprint: control the ball, control the future

De Zerbi didn’t come in to simply stabilise Tottenham. He dragged them clear of relegation danger, yes, but his mandate now is bolder: turn Spurs into a side that can dominate the ball, dictate tempo and suffocate opponents with technical quality.

To do that, he wants a conductor at the heart of midfield. Tonali is the name at the top of that list.

The Italy international, still only in his mid‑20s, fits the profile perfectly: press-resistant, brave on the ball, able to set the rhythm from deep or step higher to connect play. De Zerbi has identified him as an “ideal candidate” for that central role, and Tottenham’s hierarchy know a move of this scale would send a clear message about their ambitions and their willingness to back their new head coach.

Newcastle hold the cards – and the contract

There is one major obstacle: Newcastle United have no intention of letting Tonali go cheaply.

The midfielder is tied to a long-term contract running until 2029, signed in 2024 while he was serving a 10‑month ban for gambling breaches. Crucially, that deal does not contain a release clause. Newcastle are under no pressure to sell and are in a strong position to demand a huge fee for a player they still see as central to their project.

They know his market. Tonali has been regarded as one of the best midfielders in the division and has sat high on recruitment lists at Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. At this stage, though, the Manchester clubs have turned their attention elsewhere, leaving Spurs as the side pushing hardest.

There has also been a broader understanding around Newcastle that Tonali, along with Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento, might be open to a new challenge this summer. Gordon has already gone, completing a £69m switch to Barcelona. Whether Newcastle are prepared to lose another cornerstone of their future is another matter entirely.

Market pressures and a midfield domino effect

This is a summer in which top-level midfielders have become premium assets. Prices reflect that.

Manchester City are in talks with Nottingham Forest over Elliot Anderson, a deal expected to cost in excess of £100m. Manchester United have agreed a move for Ederson from Atalanta and are now working on a deal for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes. Those moves reshape the market. Once the elite clubs lock in their primary targets, the remaining options become even more contested – and more expensive.

For Spurs, that context adds urgency. If they truly want a ball-dominant midfield built around a player of Tonali’s calibre, they will have to pay for it and move decisively.

Early moves: defence rebuilt, more to come

Tottenham have not waited for the window to drift by. They have already begun reshaping the spine of the side.

Marcos Senesi has arrived at centre-back and Andy Robertson at left-back, both on free transfers, smart business that instantly lifts the defensive line in terms of experience and quality. De Zerbi still wants another defender, with Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke a live target.

Brighton, for their part, are pushing back. They have lodged a £30m bid for Spurs’ teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic. The 19‑year‑old shone on loan at Hamburg and is viewed as one of Europe’s standout young defenders. He is keen on the move, but Tottenham are unlikely to accept the current offer, aware of both his potential and his value in a market increasingly obsessed with elite young centre-backs.

Life after Son: wide threat and attacking depth

There is another gaping question in this rebuild: life after Heung‑Min Son.

Spurs have been searching for a winger capable of filling that void for a year, without success. Approaches for Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo have come to nothing. Manchester City’s Savinho is among the names on their list this summer, a player who brings direct running and end product from wide areas.

De Zerbi also wants another forward, ideally someone versatile enough to operate across the entire front line. The reasoning is simple: last season’s injury crisis exposed how thin Spurs were in attacking options. He wants the ability to rotate, to change games from the bench, to survive inevitable absences without tearing up his tactical plan.

The goalkeeper question

Even the goalkeeping position, which looked settled not long ago, is now under review.

Guglielmo Vicario could return to Italy, with Juventus listing him as a potential target and Inter having shown interest previously. In the run‑in under De Zerbi, Antonin Kinsky held the No 1 shirt and did enough to be considered a serious option going forward, but if Vicario leaves, Spurs will almost certainly move for another goalkeeper to maintain competition at the top end of the pitch.

A statement window – if Spurs go all in

Strip it all back and the Tonali pursuit becomes a litmus test for Tottenham’s new era.

They have a coach with a clear identity, early defensive reinforcements in place and an aggressive plan to reshape the attack. What they lack is that one midfielder who can bend a game to his will, who can make De Zerbi’s possession-heavy, high‑risk football truly sing.

Tonali can be that player. Newcastle know it. Spurs know it.

Now the question is simple: are Tottenham prepared to pay the kind of fee that drags a cornerstone out of another Premier League club and plants him at the centre of their own project?