Less than a month after scrambling to Premier League survival, Roberto De Zerbi made one thing crystal clear — there would be no rest, no reset, no excuses. For a club of Tottenham’s stature, scrapping near the relegation zone for two consecutive seasons simply isn’t acceptable.
The Europa League trophy sits in the cabinet, but the league form has been an embarrassment. Now, finally, there are genuine signs that Spurs are ready to act like the big club they’re supposed to be.
The Rebuild Is Real
De Zerbi and the recruitment team have hit the ground running. Jan Paul van Hecke has arrived for £52 million, with Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi both coming in on free transfers to shore up a leaky defence.
But the real statement of intent is coming in midfield.
Spurs have made formal enquiries for West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes — a potential £80 million signing — though Manchester United are also in the picture. Meanwhile, the pursuit of Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali is gathering serious momentum.
An opening bid of £75 million was knocked back, but Spurs aren’t flinching. Personal terms are reportedly already agreed, Tonali is open to the move, and Football.London’s Alasdair Gold reports “rising confidence” that a deal gets done — describing it as a genuine statement signing. Newcastle, however, are digging in for £100 million.
Why Tonali Is Spurs’ Missing Piece
Last season’s midfield was painful to watch. Gallagher, Bissouma, Bentancur, Gray, Bergvall, Sarr — individually talented, collectively one-dimensional. The unit lacked a true conductor, someone to control tempo and dictate the game from deep.
Tonali is exactly that player — and the comparisons to a certain Spurs legend are hard to ignore.
Luka Modric, the Ballon d’Or winner who made his name at White Hart Lane before conquering Madrid, built his legacy as a classic quarterback midfielder — shielding, distributing, and gliding through games with effortless composure. Tonali operates in almost identical fashion.
The numbers back it up. Modric’s career pass completion sits at 89.4%; Tonali has posted 85% over the past two seasons. Their progressive carry stats from last season were virtually identical — 1.10 vs 1.05 per 90 minutes. Both are graceful under pressure, both excel at switching play with laser-accurate long balls, and neither are prolific scorers — yet both make their teams tick in ways that don’t always show up on the scoresheet.
At just 25, Tonali hasn’t reached Modric’s heights yet — but his agent Beppe Riso has boldly called him “one of the best midfielders in the world.”
For years, Spurs have desperately missed that Modric-type figure — the composed, visionary quarterback who controls matches from the base of midfield. In Tonali, they could be about to find exactly what they’ve been searching for.
