Tottenham's Ambitious Double Transfer Target: Tonali and Fernandes

Tottenham Hotspur have already ripped up their summer script once. They look intent on doing it again.

Four major signings are through the door – Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka – a serious early statement for Roberto De Zerbi’s first full assault on the Premier League with Spurs. Defence and goalkeeper have been addressed. The spine has been stiffened.

Now the club are aiming straight at the heart of the pitch.

Tonali chase turns into a test of will

Sandro Tonali is the name that will not go away.

Tottenham have already seen an £80m bid knocked back by Newcastle United, a firm rejection reported by Sky Sports on June 20. Newcastle, under financial pressure yet determined not to be bullied, are understood via TEAMtalk to want at least £100m for the Italy international.

That kind of fee would drag Tonali into the bracket of the most expensive midfielders in history. Spurs know it. Newcastle know it. The negotiation is as much about nerve as numbers.

Fabrizio Romano, who first pushed the story into the spotlight last week, is not backing off. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he doubled down, insisting Tottenham are “working on the deal to sign Sandro Tonali” and stressing that, in his information, no other club is currently in the frame.

No Manchester City lurking in the background. No late power play from elsewhere. Right now, it is Tottenham and Tonali, Tonali and Tottenham.

The message is clear: Spurs are not treating this as a speculative enquiry. They are in, and they are staying in, until Newcastle either crack or close the door completely.

Fernandes pursuit raises the stakes

As if one blockbuster midfield deal were not enough, Tottenham are pushing hard on a second front.

Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United has emerged as one of the most hotly pursued midfielders on the market. A Portugal international, technically polished and tactically flexible, he fits the profile of a modern, top-end Premier League operator – and he is not short of admirers.

West Ham’s stance is straightforward: they will sell to the highest bidder. Romano has long reported that the Hammers want around £85m for Fernandes, and that they are prepared to accept the best financial proposal on the table.

That opens the door to a straight shootout.

Tottenham want him. Manchester United want him as well, even after sealing a deal for Ederson from Atalanta. Behind the scenes, as Romano describes it, both clubs are working the phones, talking to the player, testing West Ham’s resolve and the limits of their own budgets.

The numbers are eye-watering. If Spurs land both Tonali and Fernandes at the figures being discussed, they are staring at a combined outlay in the region of £185m. For a club that has already moved decisively in this window, that would be a seismic escalation.

A midfield arms race

This is not a case of “one or the other” for Tottenham. Romano is explicit: they want Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.

For De Zerbi, that ambition makes sense. A manager who demands control of the ball and aggression without it needs a midfield that can dominate in every phase. Tonali brings bite, tempo and range from deep. Fernandes offers guile, progression and the ability to knit attacks together higher up the pitch.

For Manchester United, Fernandes represents the chance to bolt another high-level midfielder onto a rebuild that has already seen Ederson arrive. They cannot afford to stand still while a direct rival tries to reshape its core.

So the picture is set: two giants circling the same target, one of them also chasing a second marquee name. West Ham waiting for the best offer. Newcastle holding firm, for now. Agents and intermediaries working overtime.

Romano describes the Fernandes saga as “one of the most intriguing cases in recent months” and says the story is live “while I record this video”. In other words, this is a moving market, not a tidy narrative with a neat ending.

Tottenham are pushing to close. Manchester United are refusing to walk away. The battle for Mateus Fernandes, and the pursuit of Sandro Tonali, now threaten to define the rest of this transfer window – and perhaps the balance of power in the Premier League midfield for years to come.