Sandro Tonali and Roberto De Zerbi have lifted the lid on the secretive talks held to try and entice the midfielder from Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur.
How the Deal Was Struck
The extraordinary insight into texts, messages, phone calls and clandestine meetings – which question whether the player was approached against the rules or with permission from Newcastle – have been revealed as the duo opened up on the £100m transfer deal. In a sensational account, details have emerged of how the signing was struck, including how first contact was made via a mutual friend before Newcastle's game against West Ham, the phone conversation the day after the last game of the season, the clandestine meeting inside Tonali's house, and how Tonali snubbed Manchester City to join Spurs.
The deal for Tonali was eventually sealed after Spurs and Newcastle agreed on a £100m fee – a record for Spurs – made up of an initial £92.5m payment and £7.5m in add-ons.
De Zerbi's Role
De Zerbi revealed that when he had drawn up a list of transfer targets in mid-March with sporting director Johan Lange during his negotiations to join the north London club, Tonali was one of his dream signings. However, he felt the transfer would be difficult to pull off until a story in the media sparked a chain of events that culminated in the 26-year-old ending up at Tottenham.
"The story is very simple," De Zerbi told football.london. "I saw Sandro wanted to leave before the end of the season, before our Chelsea game, and we have one friend in common, the team manager of Brescia. I read a story which said 'Tonali is leaving Newcastle in the summer', and I messaged my friend to say 'hey, inform Sandro, if we stay up, I'll go to him'.
"After 10 minutes, my friend answered 'I said to Sandro and he's open'. Now we have to win one game to stay up! I watched Newcastle's game against West Ham, 90 minutes like this (indicates sweat pouring down his face), and Sandro played very well in the first half. I said [to myself] 'if I stay up, I come to you, I come to you, I come to you'.
"When we won the final match against Everton, the day after I sent a message to him – 'Sandro, I want to speak with you'. After 10 minutes, we spoke, and after two days I went back to Italy and we met in his home. I didn't want to invite him to mine, because I thought maybe he's not comfortable in my home. I preferred to keep him in the right condition to say 'yes, why not'."
Tonali's Decision
Tonali was a man in demand with Manchester City and Manchester United also linked to the star, who reveals he held talks with another club, not just Tottenham. However, the relationship between the two men who both hail from close to Brescia is what swung it for Spurs.
"Brescia is so small," explained Tonali, who was born an hour away in Lodi. "I spent two weeks there, him as well, and I met him two or three times in the city, but not just him. I met my old team manager in Brescia. I met Roberto Baggio twice!
"I had spoken with [De Zerbi] when he was in Sassuolo, Marseille and Brighton. We spoke every time because we are Italian, from Brescia, and it's a mini connection together. I spoke with another team, but when I spoke with Tottenham, it was totally different. They spoke with 100 per cent passion. Roberto and the director made the difference to the deal."
Tonali and his family – he has a young son born in Newcastle – had initially wanted to return to Italy but when it became clear that Serie A clubs would not be able to afford the huge fee the Magpies were looking for, he opted to join his compatriot at Tottenham.
"We decided to go back to Italy but it was impossible for the money," he said. "In England we found the best solution for me, my career, my football, my happiness, my family. I spoke with two teams and I knew within 15 minutes that Tottenham would be my next team."
Newcastle United have been approached for comment.
