Tottenham Hotspur have been urged to meet Newcastle United's £100 million asking price for midfielder Sandro Tonali, with former Spurs striker Teddy Sheringham claiming the Italian could have a transformative effect similar to Declan Rice's impact at Arsenal.
Tonali, 26, has become one of the Premier League's leading midfielders since joining Newcastle for £55 million three years ago. He still has three years remaining on his contract at St James' Park. Spurs have already had an £80 million bid rejected, with Newcastle holding out for £100 million. Manchester City and Arsenal are also linked with the Italian international.
Sheringham: Tonali can change the whole picture at Spurs
Speaking to Boyle Sports, Sheringham said: "About three years ago I said that Manchester United needed to go and sign Harry Kane and Declan Rice as soon as they were available. United didn’t get either of them. Tottenham are in that situation now. You have to go and get the big players now to lead by example, players that come into a club and set the standard, like what Harry has done at Bayern Munich and Declan has done at Arsenal."
Sheringham, who also played for Manchester United, added: "You need players who will put the shirt on and fill it out like Eric Cantona did when he went to United. Players who look like they deserve to be there. Follow me, boys!"
Spurs need leaders after two 17th-place finishes
Tottenham have finished 17th in the Premier League for the past two seasons, and Sheringham believes the club must change its recruitment strategy. "The most important thing for Tottenham to remember is that if you just bring in the same sort of players that you always have, that you’ve already got, and they’re all good players, you’ll end up in the same position again," he said.
"That’s not good enough for Tottenham at the moment. They need to go and bring some leaders into the camp and change the whole picture at Tottenham."
Newcastle manager Roberto De Zerbi has made Tonali his top target, and the Magpies are determined to keep the midfielder unless their valuation is met. With multiple top clubs circling, a bidding war could drive the price even higher.
