Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Sandro Tonali only wanted to join Tottenham this summer, despite reports linking the Newcastle United midfielder with Arsenal and Manchester City.
The transfer expert has dismissed suggestions of a genuine three-way race, insisting the Italy international made Tottenham his preferred destination from the very beginning.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CAUGHTOFFSIDE APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ONAPPLE&GOOGLE PLAY
Fabrizio Romano: Sandro Tonali only wanted Tottenham
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained that speculation surrounding Arsenal and Manchester City never reflected the reality of the situation.
According to the Italian journalist, Tonali immediately gave the green light to Tottenham after the club made its approach, with Roberto De Zerbi’s project proving decisive.
“I never came here telling you Man City, telling you Arsenal interest, telling you Tonali doesn’t want to go to Tottenham,” Romano stated firmly.
“Many people said Tonali preferred Arsenal, or Manchester City. But Tonali’s preference was clear from that day.”
According to Romano, Tonali’s unwavering stance was established immediately when the initial exclusive story broke on June 15.
The midfielder gave his immediate green light to Spurs, driven entirely by his deep tactical trust in manager Roberto De Zerbi and a belief in the club’s long-term project.
Personal terms were wrapped up that same afternoon, making the subsequent two weeks of club-to-club negotiations a formality before finalizing the £92.5 million up-front fee plus £7.5 million in add-ons.
Tonali agreed personal terms on 15 June with Tottenham, and the negotiation took two weeks — but now the agreement is done. It’s a record deal for Tottenham. Two days ago I told you about the record deal for [Mathys] Fernandez — that was £85 million. Now, 48 hours later, another record deal: Sandro Tonali is £92.5 million, plus £7.5 million in add-ons. So £100 million total for Sandro Tonali to Tottenham — the most expensive Italian player in the history of the game.
So, Sandro Tonali to Tottenham is done, and now it’s time for the medical and the contract signing. Newcastle have accepted the proposal, and everything has been completed.
Sandro Tonali set to become the highest paid player at Tottenham
With a record-breaking total package of £100 million locked in, Tonali is not just breaking the club’s transfer fee records; he is also completely rewriting the financial hierarchy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
As reported by Football Paparazzi, Tonali is set to become the highest-paid player in Tottenham history, commanding a staggering wage packet of £275,000 a week.
The lucrative six-year contract represents an enormous financial commitment from the club’s leadership.
By shattering their historical wage cap twice in 48 hours, following the £85 million arrival of Mateus Fernandes, Spurs are actively giving De Zerbi the huge financial backing required to rebuild a powerful squad capable of fighting for the top four after two consecutive 17th-place finishes.
Tottenham’s transfer spending under Roberto De Zerbi
Tonali will become the latest big name arrival in an extraordinary summer transfer window for Spurs.
Besides agreeing deals for Tonali and Fernandes, the North London club have also strengthened their defence by signing Jan Paul van Hecke for £52 million, while Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dúbravka have all joined on free transfers.
With one of the Premier League’s most ambitious recruitment drives underway, Tottenham are signalling their intent to re-establish themselves among Premier League’s elite under De Zerbi ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The post Fabrizio Romano reveals why Sandro Tonali chose Tottenham over Arsenal and Man City appeared first on CaughtOffside.