Tottenham told to raise their offer for Sandro Tonali as Newcastle shut down opening bid

Tottenham have submitted a formal bid of around £75-80 million to Newcastle for Tonali as they look to steal a march on their Premier League rivals, Sky Sport in Italy reports. Spurs stepped up their efforts to sign Tonali earlier this week, sparking a fierce transfer battle with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Manchester City all hot on the heels of the Italy international.

While an approach to Tonali’s representatives had been made by Spurs to discuss a possible move to De Zerbi’s side this summer, Newcastle had not been previously approached. 

Newcastle refuse to let their midfield lynchpin leave on the cheap, despite the substantial package offered by Spurs. The Athletic has stated that the club are demanding £100m for him.

The Tyneside outfit hold a commanding position at the negotiating table due to the player's long-term contractual status. Newcastle secured Tonali from AC Milan three years ago and subsequently handed him a contract extension during his 10-month gambling ban, keeping him tied to St James’ Park until 2029. Consequently, Newcastle have firmly informed Tonali’s camp that they will not sanction a sale for the 26-year-old unless their valuation is met in full.

The Italian manager's tactical blueprint for his revamped Tottenham squad is the primary driving force behind this pursuit. De Zerbi, who has closely tracked Tonali since the midfielder's early breakthrough at Brescia, views his compatriot as a foundational pillar for his new project in North London.

The Italian coach previously admitted his desire to work with Tonali during his stint on the South Coast. ‘I wanted to bring Tonali to Sassuolo, if I’d stayed, after his first year at AC Milan,’ De Zerbi said during his time at Brighton. ‘I said, ‘maybe they’ll fall for it and I’ll bring him here’. I saw him at Brescia and thought he was the player he proved to be.’

Tottenham’s sudden manoeuvre has put other Premier League heavyweights on high alert as they closely monitor developments at St James' Park. Earlier this week, suspicions arose within Newcastle that Spurs’ interest was intentionally made public to provoke a counter-offer from Arsenal, who had previously attempted to secure the Italy international during the final days of the January window.

Sky Sports reports that Manchester City remain interested in Tonali.