Tottenham are set to release players in the coming weeks after spending big in the early stages of the summer transfer window.
Spurs continued their wasteful summer by signing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for the club’s record fee.
An agreement was reached between the Premier League rivals last week for the midfielder’s signature, with the move finally announced on Monday morning, with Spurs paying an initial £92.5m and a further £7.5m.
“I’m very happy to be here. I felt great when I arrived at the club today. People were saying there might be four or five clubs, but there was only one,” Tonali told the club’s official website.
“I spoke to the head coach (Roberto de Zerbi) for almost two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football. It was like magic because I knew right away that I had to sign for Tottenham.
“I’ve played against Tottenham a few times and there’s always been a great atmosphere created by the great fans. I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Tonali’s club record deal follows Matheus Fernandes’ £85m announced on Thursday and Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52m arrival from Brighton earlier this summer, taking Spurs’ total spend to £237m.
Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also been signed as free agents, but Tonali is at the top of De Zerbi’s wish list and the signing of the 26-year-old completes the shake-up of the club’s midfield and is seen as a statement addition.
Manager De Zerbi has worked with Tottenham’s leaders to agree to the release of some key players this summer in order to raise funds and rebalance the squad, with highly sought-after players in the N17 choosing their next club.
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Spurs want to support Roberto De Zerbi this summer while remaining on the right side of PSR.
Tottenham star undergoes medical at Preston North End
Tottenham youngster Alfie Devine is undergoing a medical in order to join Championship side Preston North End on a permanent contract, according to Alasdair Gold.
The 21-year-old had attracted a lot of attention from English football, but spent last season on loan at the Lilywhites, scoring eight goals in 45 league games before being selected by Deepdale.
Celtic were interested in taking the midfielder to the Scottish Premiership, the only team yet to sign him this summer.
The Scottish Champions board is facing increasing pressure from fan groups, but this will do nothing to calm the waters, especially given reports that manager Martin O’Neill is personally supportive of signing the Spurs star.
At Tottenham, Devine played just twice for the first team and scored one goal, so despite his talent, it seems unlikely that he would make the attacking midfield role his own in north London, especially given the arrival of new players and James Maddison’s return from injury.
Tottenham are planning more business after Tonali
Tottenham’s previously strict financial model was thrown out the window by majority owners the Luiz family this summer after consecutive Premier League finishes in 17th place.
The Spurs have consistently had the lowest wage-to-earnings ratio compared to their domestic rivals, and that figure was 45% in the 2024-25 season.
However, due in part to the number of non-football events held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with revenue streams regularly exceeding £500 million, the north London club has eased its strict wage structure and broken transfer records twice this summer.
Tonali is not expected to be Spurs’ last addition as attacking reinforcements become a new focus, with Bournemouth forward Junior Crupi also attracting interest.
