Newcastle United

Tottenham have reportedly made two separate £75m offers for Sandro Tonali, and Newcastle United rejected both bids. According to the Daily Mail and Craig Hope, Newcastle are holding out for £100m before they would consider selling him. If the report proves accurate, the odd part is not just the price gap but the repetition. Tottenham are said to have returned with the exact same offer after the first rejection, turning a standard negotiation into a strangely stubborn exchange. That detail has sparked more debate than the fee itself. A second identical bid suggests Spurs do not view Tonali as a player worth stretching to Newcastle’s valuation, even if they do rate him highly enough to make an initial push. There is also a broader squad question behind the rumor. Tonali would improve Tottenham’s midfield, but the report argues that he fits a profile Spurs already have in multiple places, which makes a £100m price tag look hard to justify. For that reason, a pivot would not be a surprise if Tottenham move on. The article points to Adam Wharton as another option and suggests that a different target could end up being the more impactful use of that kind of money. For now, the story remains only a rumor from the Daily Mail, and it could still be backed up by more reliable outlets in the coming hours. If it is, Tottenham may have stumbled into the rare position of failing their way toward a better midfield fit. Read more at: cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com

Tottenham’s £75m Tonali Bid Rejected Twice, and the Standoff Gets Stranger