Newcastle have spent the summer holding firm on their £100million valuation for Sandro Tonali.
Arsenal were reportedly interested early in the window, reigniting talk from January of a switch for the Italian.
Manchester United and Manchester City were both said to be interested, but it is those across the road who have secured his signature.
Indeed, Tottenham have agreed to pay the £100million for Tonali — an initial £92.5million up front plus £7.5million in potential add-ons.
It is a huge pickup for Spurs, who are set to break their club-record transfer fee for the second time already this window.
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They have already signed Mateus Fernandes — another midfielder linked with Arsenal this summer — from West Ham for £85million.
Adding both is a show of serious intent from Tottenham. North London derbies might not be so easy anymore.
Arsenal rejected Sandro Tonali before Tottenham deal
Newcastle insider Lee Ryder has revealed that Spurs were irked by the £100million demand but ultimately agreed to meet it.
Before they did, however, Arsenal had been offered the chance to sign him, but walked away due to the expenses.
The Premier League champions were also put off by Tonali’s wage demands and agent fees a deal would involve.
Given that Tonali’s value had plummeted close to zero in 2023 following his ten-month ban for illegal betting, Newcastle have done exceptionally well to get such a price akin to Declan Rice’s move to the Emirates.
Arsenal were right to walk away from Sandro Tonali signing
The money involved in the Sandro Tonali deal just doesn’t make any sense for Arsenal and what they need right now.
Without even factoring in wages and agent fees, spending £100million on a midfielder doesn’t reflect Mikel Arteta’s priorities right now.
That extra money would be better spent strengthening forward areas.
Nonetheless, Arteta remains keen to add proven quality to the engine room. They believe a better alternative to Tonali is his Newcastle compatriot Bruno Guimaraes.
Not only would he come with a significantly lower transfer fee, people inside Arsenal reckon Guimaraes would complement Declan Rice better than Tonali would.
Tonali brings high energy and intensity, no doubt, but those are qualities the Gunners already have in abundance with Rice.
What they need alongside him is a player who can provide a little bit of that but can also break lines and create from deep.
Guimaraes, as his World Cup performances have shown, offers exactly that.
Arsenal have already had a £55million bid rejected for the Brazilian and are expected to return with an improved offer.
The belief internally is that £65million should be enough, with Guimaraes’ head understood to have been turned by their interest.
Whether Newcastle would sanction selling their two best midfielders in the same window, having already lost Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, remains to be seen.
But Arsenal made their choice. Tottenham got Tonali. Arsenal want Bruno.
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