Newcastle United are closely monitoring Aleksander Stankovic's transfer situation after the midfielder rejected a move to Tottenham Hotspur and rejoined Inter Milan on a five-year contract, a development that could influence Sandro Tonali's future at St James' Park.
Tonali's Future in Limbo
Tonali remains in limbo after Tottenham had an £80 million bid for the Italian rejected by Newcastle. There is a feeling within the club that the 26-year-old will depart this summer, but Newcastle are holding out for around £100 million, having seen the going rate for Premier League midfielders set by Manchester City's pursuit of Elliot Anderson. Nottingham Forest are set to sell the Whitley Bay man for a package worth around £130 million.
Spurs are pursuing an aggressive transfer policy this summer. They have already completed four signings: Andy Robertson and Marco Sensei on free transfers, Brighton defender Jan Paul Van Hecke for £52 million, and former Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. However, manager Roberto De Zerbi wants a strong central midfielder, with Tonali his first choice. The Italian manager is understood to have a relationship already with Tonali and his camp.
Stankovic's Rejection
With Newcastle holding firm on their valuation, Spurs have started to look elsewhere. West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes is one option, with Tottenham believed to have jumped Manchester United into pole position to sign the Portugal star. However, Sky Sport Italy reported that defensive midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic had the option of joining Tottenham this summer, but rejected the offer to return to Inter Milan.
Stankovic spent last season at Club Brugge, having joined the Belgian club on a permanent deal from Inter in the summer of 2025. The Serie A side, however, activated their buy-back option reported to be worth around €23 million (£19.85 million). The report claims that Tottenham, led by De Zerbi, made an attempt to sign the midfielder this summer, but Stankovic had no intention of even listening to his plans and rejected the proposal. Instead, the Serbian star is reported to be determined to be a success at Inter, and as a result, has signed a five-year contract that runs until the summer of 2031 to rejoin the Serie A club.
Newcastle's Monitoring and Alternatives
Newcastle have been monitoring Stankovic for a number of months, having conducted extensive scouting trips to Belgium, with the 20-year-old among a number of Club Brugge players who they monitored, including defenders Joel Ordonez and Joaquin Seys, plus forwards Nicolo Tresoldi and Christos Tzolis. Should they lose Tonali this summer, Stankovic was one of the names in the frame to replace him. Despite the Serb's hopes of starring at Inter, there is still a belief that the Italians will look to 'flip' him for a quick profit.
Newcastle are also keen on Monaco's Lamine Camara and Everton's James Garner, though they are reported to have cooled interest in Kees Smit after the Dutchman indicated he wasn't interested in a move to Tyneside.
