Sandro Tonali has been officially announced as Tottenham Hotspur's latest summer signing, completing a £100million package deal from Premier League rivals Newcastle United. The 26-year-old Italian midfielder becomes the fifth arrival under head coach Roberto De Zerbi, following Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Mateus Fernandes through the doors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Busy Window for Spurs
Tottenham have been active in the transfer market as they look to reshape their squad according to De Zerbi's vision, after narrowly escaping relegation on the final day of the 2024/25 season. The north London club, who also won the Europa League in 2025, have already spent £85m on prising Fernandes from West Ham United earlier in the window.
Tonali, who previously played for AC Milan before joining Newcastle, described a two-hour conversation with De Zerbi as "like magic", citing the former Brighton boss as a key reason for his desire to move to the capital.
Tonali's Shirt Number
The Italian international has now learned the shirt number he will wear for the upcoming campaign. He has been handed the No16 jersey, previously worn by outgoing defender Luka Vuskovic during pre-season last term before the young Croatian moved on loan to Hamburg. Vuskovic is now close to joining Brighton & Hove Albion permanently.
The No16 shirt has a notable history at Tottenham. Gareth Bale wore it upon his arrival from Southampton in 2007, before switching to No3 and later No11. Kieran Trippier, Tonali's former Newcastle teammate, also donned the number during his time in north London, followed by Kyle Walker-Peters, Arnaut Danjuma, and Timo Werner. Historically, left-back Paul Konchesky and former Liverpool striker Ronny Rosenthal (during his stint at White Hart Lane from 1994 to 1997) also wore No16 for the club.
