Tottenham Braced For £100m Transfer Hijack

Tottenham are bracing themselves for their transfer move to sign Sandro Tonali this summer to be hijacked by Manchester City.

Spurs have been one of the busier clubs already this summer, bringing in two new players on free transfers, as well as agreeing a deal for another.

Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson will link up with the Lilywhites from Bournemouth and Liverpool respectively after their World Cup adventures with Argentina and Scotland are over, while Jan Paul van Hecke looks set to arrive in a £52million deal from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Roberto De Zerbi and Spurs already mean business in the summer transfer window, with the Lewis Family vowing to back the Italian with investment into the squad.

GIVEMESPORT understands that the Spurs owners want to make a statement signing this summer and there are talks ongoing over a deal to bring Savinho to the club from Manchester City.

But any move for the forward would be surpassed by a transfer for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali. Spurs burst to the front of the queue to sign the 26-year-old earlier this week when news emerged of a planned £80million to £85million move for the Italian.

Newcastle want in the region of £100million to sell the midfielder and there is a feeling around St James' Park that he will depart the club this summer.

Tottenham are keen to get a deal over the line for Tonali to strengthen the middle of the park, with reports surfacing that the player is keen on the move to north London too.

But Spurs are not the only club interested in signing him this summer. Manchester United have been linked with a move, given their plan to sign two central midfielders this summer. Arsenal were linked in January, although a move never came to fruition and the Gunners could make another move this time around.

And then there's Manchester City, who lost Bernardo Silva this week and could well say goodbye to Rodri too, with question marks over his future at the Etihad Stadium.

City's attention for now, is on signing Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with two bids of more than £100million already rejected by owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Any suggestion that City are only planning for one midfield arrival appear to be wide of the mark, however. GMS understands that City, like Spurs, are in talks to sign Tonali and Teamtalk reporter Graeme Bailey has gone even further in saying: "I am told City made it clear during the process that they don’t see Tonali as some sort of alternative to Elliot Anderson - ideally they want both.”

Teamtalk also state that the Etihad Stadium would be his preference upon leaving St James' Park this summer, if he cannot make the move to Serie A - an opportunity that has been removed because of the finances.

Tottenham may have thought they would have it all their own way in the race to sign Tonali with United put off by the price, City going all out for Anderson and Arsenal appearing to move for Manu Kone, but they may face a battle to complete the £100million deal after all.

Spurs have identified the midfield as a position of need