Romano: “Deal on” for Spurs to sign club-record Mateus Fernandes upgrade

Tottenham Hotspur sealing Premier League survival on the final day came at the expense of West Ham United, with the Lilywhites now set to stick the knife in by raiding their city rivals again this summer.

It was only last year that Spurs moved to bring Mohammed Kudus to N17 on a £55m deal, joining the likes of Scott Parker, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe in having traded east London for north London in the 21st Century.

By all accounts, that trend could be repeated as Roberto De Zerbi‘s side take on Manchester United in the bid to sign Mateus Fernandes from the Hammers, the 21-year-old having only joined the club on a £40m deal a year earlier.

It’s expected to take a fair chunk more than that to strike an agreement this time around, however, with the Portuguese playmaker emerging as one of many priority targets for the new De Zerbi regime.

“Deal on” as Spurs ramp up club-record move alongside Fernandes deal

There are conflicting reports with regard to Fernandes’ future, although there’s no denying that Spurs are making a big play, doing their utmost to trump the Red Devils in this hotly contested pursuit.

The suggestion is that both clubs are close to agreeing personal terms with the player, with the focus now on who will be willing to meet West Ham’s reported £80m asking price.

As revealed by Fabrizio Romano – speaking on his YouTube channel – there isn’t a clear favourite as yet in this Fernandes fight, with “both clubs talking to West Ham” at present.

The situation is a little different with regard to another leading Spurs target, however, with Romano outlining that it is “deal on” for Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, having seen rival suitors drift out of the picture.

“So today I keep mentioning Tottenham and Tonali. Tonali and Tottenham. I remain on my position. Tottenham are working on the deal to sign Sandro Tonali and that remains the case.

“Deal on [at] Tottenham for Tonali. I’m not coming here mentioning Man City. I’m not coming here mentioning other clubs.

“Since I told you about Tonali to Tottenham last week, the other clubs are no longer mentioned by myself at least. So let’s follow the situation, but the deal is on”.

In terms of a price tag, Tonali could potentially eclipse Fernandes’ fee, with reports that a deal could be pushing closer to £100m, thus representing a club-record move for the Lilywhites.

Tonali would be Spurs’ real statement signing this summer

There’s so much excitement surrounding Fernandes following a standout season in a struggling West Ham side, the former Southampton man scoring and assisting seven goals in the Premier League.

That had come after chipping in with six goal involvements the year prior for the Saints, enjoying a promising first few years in England on a personal level, despite suffering successive relegations.

Whether that type of form warrants such a significant, £80m plus investment is another matter, however, with it not wrong to suggest that Spurs would be getting greater bang for their buck with the statement signing of Tonali.

Fernandes, at just 21, is a player on the up, although in Tonali’s case, he already appears something of a complete package, among the real cream of the crop when it comes to Premier League midfielders.

In the view of United legend, Paul Scholes, the Italian potentially might be the best of the bunch, hailed by the Englishman as being “better than [Declan] Rice” at the start of last season.

In the view of his agent too, Tonali is already “one of the best midfielders in the world“, having been such a force at his best in a Newcastle shirt.

An old-fashioned, box-crashing number eight, Tonali is a real workhorse in the centre of the park, notably bettering Fernandes last season with regard to tackles and interceptions per 90, as per Scout Lab (2.23 vs 1.85).

Where the Magpies star also particularly excels is in his impact at the top end of the pitch, again bettering the Portuguese last term with regard to progressive passes (3.36 vs 3.24) and passes into the final third (5.80 vs 4.32).

Tonali has already proven himself too at a string of clubs, racking up 20 goals and assists in 110 games for Newcastle, while matching that tally in 130 games for AC Milan. In Italy, he also chalked up 22 goals and assists in 86 games for Brescia.

Fernandes, while still only 21, doesn’t have the same body of work behind him as yet, making just 129 senior appearances across his time in both England and Italy.

He may get to Tonali’s level before too long, yet haven’t Spurs already gone down a similar road before, signing young, up-and-coming talents like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall?

Rarely do they seem to secure high-profile talents who are truly entering their peak, with Tonali seemingly a real change in tack in that regard.