Tonali to Tottenham is official: 115 million, Italian record

Now it is official: Sandro Tonali is a new Tottenham player under De Zerbi, as announced by Calciomercato.com and eurosport.it. From Newcastle to Spurs for a fee that sources place between 115 and 116 million euros: the former Milan man becomes, according to Goal.com and eurosport.it, the most expensive Italian player of all time.

The trail had started far back. In mid-June Diretta reported Manchester United pressing for Tonali, while warning not to lose sight of Milan and Juventus; a few days later the same Diretta flagged Manchester City pushing hard, with the midfielder described as «open to the move».

In the end, though, it was Tottenham who won the race. Around 20 June Sky Sport spoke of a Spurs «surge» and of an offer delivered to Newcastle, while Goal.com framed Tonali as a target of De Zerbi's Tottenham, detailing the figures of the deal and also recalling how much Milan would collect from it. On 22 June ANSA confirmed the player was «heading to Tottenham».

Competition had not been lacking: Goal.com itself had floated a double swoop by Manchester City, ready to spend up to 200 million for Tonali and Anderson. The real negotiation, however, remained the London one: on 26 June Sportmediaset wrote that «De Zerbi wants him» and that Newcastle were asking 115 million.

In recent days the figure crystallised. On 2 July eurosport.it spoke of a 116-million transfer that would make Tonali «the first (and third) most expensive Italian ever»; the following day Goal.com doubled down, calling it «a record deal» and «the most expensive Italian player of all time».

The official announcement arrived on 6 July. Calciomercato.com reported that «Sandro Tonali is officially a new Tottenham player», arriving from Newcastle for 115 million euros plus bonuses; eurosport.it reiterated the official nature of the deal, speaking of a 116-million operation for De Zerbi's Tottenham. Tuttosport too covered the official statement and the details, running the headline «He is special» and stressing that Tonali is reunited with De Zerbi.

On Newcastle's side, Sportmediaset noted the midfielder's departure, describing the deal as «the second most lucrative sale in the club's history». Only one detail remains not fully settled, the exact fee, which swings between the 115 million plus bonuses indicated by Calciomercato.com and the 116 million reported by eurosport.it. Either way the deal is done: the former Milan man has a new shirt and enters the history of the Italian transfer market.

TransferBeat aggregates transfer news citing the original sources. Developing story.