Tottenham Hotspur have had a bid in the region of £75 million, which works out at around $100 million, rejected by Newcastle United for midfielder Sandro Tonali, according to sources speaking to ESPN. That is a lot of money to turn down, and it tells you everything you need to know about how highly Newcastle rate the Italian.
Tonali has had quite the journey at St James' Park. He arrived with enormous hype, then served a lengthy ban for betting violations, and has since come back looking sharp and ready to remind everyone why Newcastle spent big to bring him over from AC Milan in the first place. Fair play to the lad, because bouncing back from that kind of situation takes some doing.
For Spurs, this is a statement of intent at least. Ange Postecoglou clearly wants a proper midfield presence, and Tonali would fit that bill nicely. The problem is that Newcastle are not a selling club in the way they once were, and with the backing they have now, they can afford to laugh at offers that would have had previous Newcastle boards biting hands off. Times have genuinely changed up in the northeast.
The interesting question is whether Spurs come back with an improved offer or move on to other targets. Tottenham fans have been waiting a long time for the club to back their manager properly in the transfer window, and spending £75 million on a player already shows a shift in approach. Whether they are willing to go even higher is another matter entirely.
From a neutral perspective, Tonali staying at Newcastle is probably the right outcome for the Premier League. He adds quality and personality to a team that is genuinely pushing for the top six. Spurs fans might disagree, obviously, but that is the beauty of football.
As a Manchester United fan, watching other clubs throw around serious money is becoming a bit of a regular occurrence these days. But that is a conversation for another time.
Let me know your thoughts.