Spurs complete Tonali, Fernandes deals as De Zerbi continues squad rebuild
English Premier League (EPL) club Tottenham Hotspur have completed bumper deals to sign both Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes from Newcastle United and West Ham respectively.
Tottenham were able to see off stiff competition from Manchester City and Arsenal in their bid to sign Tonali with De Zerbi particularly requesting the signing of the Italian as a priority.
Reports say the 26-year-old player who joins Tottenham for a record fee of £92.5m plus £7.5m will sign a massive contract worth over £275,000 per week
Tonali spoke about the influence of head coach De Zerbi on his club choice moments after landing in London with his agent Giuseppe Riso, and his wife Marianna Mecacci to undergo a medical and sign at Tottenham.
“For sure Roberto de Zerbi has been crucial for me to join Spurs. He played a big role.
“I can’t wait to work with him”. Tonali said.
Speaking on his decision to join Spurs, he said; “It’s simple, we decided for a change and we are ready for this new adventure”.
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The midfielder who was also of interest to Manchester United disclosed that there is a possibility of him returning to Italy to play for AC Milan again in the near future.
“There are always rumors about it… we always joke about it.
“But if one day there’s a chance [to return to AC Milan], we’ll seriously talk about that,” Tonali stated.
In the same vein, Tottenham have also officially signed 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United for a club-record £85 million fee.
Speaking moments after his unveiling, Fernandes said that he is excited to play for a massive club like Tottenham, he also stated that De Zerbi was key in his decision to join the London club.
“I’m very excited for this next step. Spurs is a massive club and De Zerbi was a key part of why I have decided to join.
“When we spoke, it was very special. We look at football in the same way,” he said.
Both signings are expected to bolster Tottenham’s midfield options as De Zerbi initiates a massive squad overhaul financed by a record-breaking summer transfer window to reshape his team’s identity.
