Personal terms agreed as it's confirmed Spurs now open direct talks with 26-year-old's club

Sandro Tonali could be announced in days

Another deal that has moved along at some pace for Tottenham Hotspur, who are making a good impression of a well-run football club. Ornstein has confirmed we are now negotiating with the Bar Codes.

This Tonali to Spurs transfer can only go wrong now if there is a huge difference between the price Newcastle United wants and the one Tottenham is willing to pay.

As I wrote earlier, ff Tottenham were to confidently approach Newcastle United, knowing that they had a wage deal in place with the player, then this is a game-changer.

Spurs have historically emphasised value and avoided extreme top-end wages compared to rivals. Recent signings (e.g., Simons, Kudus, Gallagher) have pushed the top end higher, but the overall bill remains competitive rather than leading.

This deal would be historic, but it would require Tonali to come in on big wages and a big transfer deal.

Is he worth it? This is a thorny one; he’s in his prime, so there’s that. Sandro Tonali is known as a very good, high-level Premier League midfielder, a reliable, energetic box-to-box or deep-lying option who’s among the stronger central midfielders in the league.

Not elite, but does it truly matter? He’s composed on the ball, press-resistant, with good passing range and vision. He can control tempo as a deep playmaker or push forward as a No. 8, which will be of interest to Conor Gallagher.

Tonali is a top-tier squad player for a Champions League-chasing side like Newcastle or Spurs, not quite elite world-class (e.g., not Rodri or prime KDB level), but very solid, improving, and valuable. Newcastle would likely demand a premium to sell him, and rightly so.

How much would you pay for De Bruyne? If it’s under one hundred million, I’d love to know where you shop!