High banderol brings pressure, Tonali: I have to play like a normal Tottenham player

Sandro Tonali admitted that he was not pressured to be recruited by Tottenham Hotspur from Newcastle United at a high price (Instagram/@spursofficial).

JAKARTA - Sandro Tonali has spoken openly about his £100 million ($130 million) move to Tottenham Hotspur from Newcastle United this summer. He named head coach Roberto De Zerbi as a key figure in the transfer.

In a roundtable interview with reporters from The Athletic, BBC Sport, and other media, Tonali spoke about his relationship with De Zerbi through their shared hometown in Brescia, Italy, how he plans to deal with the pressure that comes with his transfer fee, and his hopes for Spurs in the coming season.

"Brescia is very small. I spent two weeks there and (De Zerbi) too. I met him two or three times in the city, by car. However, it's not just him. I met my former team manager in Brescia. I met Roberto Baggio twice."

"I spoke with him (De Zerbi) when he (became manager) at Sassuolo, as well as at Brighton and Marseille, we always chat because we are Italians. We are from Brescia and there is a kind of small connection between us," said Tonali.

During the Spurs' preseason tour of Australia and New Zealand, De Zerbi revealed that when his team officially stayed in the English League with a victory over Everton on the last day of the 2025/2026 season, he contacted Tonali and said he wanted to talk to him. De Zerbi said a few days later the two met in Brescia.

Tonali told reporters it didn't take long - just 10 minutes - for him to be convinced that moving to Spurs would be the right decision for him.

"I spoke with Tottenham. When you speak with one team, the first impression is a big thing. My first impression was very positive."

"I spoke after two minutes with my wife and family. I said that maybe this will be one of the best decisions of my career."

"He (De Zerbi) told me that I had 100 percent control over this decision. I want to talk to him because this is our life. So, my first impression was very positive. When you are happy after a 10-minute speech, everything is perfect."

"The coach is Italian, Roberto. I know him. Roberto cares a lot about his work, his football. He said that this project would be difficult, but it would be perfect for him, for me, for this city."

"We can have one of the best seasons because we have great players. We just need to work hard," said the former AC Milan midfielder.

Tonali joins Tottenham who have many Italian players, including Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario. A number of De Zerbi's coaching staff are also his countrymen.

He said the presence of his compatriots in north London was very comforting.

"It's nice. A lot of staff, three Italian players. The funny thing is, sometimes we speak more Italian than English."

"However, it's okay because I was at Newcastle for three years, I only spoke English for three years! I only speak Italian at home with my wife. So it's a bit different," he said.

Tonali also said that although he wanted to move, he also wanted to make sure that Newcastle United got the best deal for him when he left.

"The first thing is to get the best deal for Newcastle United. I met some of the best people in football."

"When I decided to move, I told my agent and (Newcastle United's sporting director) Ross Wilson that I wanted the best deal for the Magpies because they deserve everything."

"If I have to move, then I can say hello to you or Eddie (Howe) in two or three years. If we meet in 10 years, I want to have a nice dinner with the staff, with Ross, because they are very great people," said Tonali.

Only, Tonali's arrival at Spurs is seen by many as a decisive recruitment. Previously, Spurs had never spent 100 million pounds on any player - although many other 'Big Six' clubs have done so in recent years. Tonali is considered one of the best midfielders in the English League.

Spurs signed one of Newcastle United's best players, just days after securing the signing of highly-talented Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85m, which was a major change in Spurs' transfer policy.

Tonali is aware that being signed for such a huge fee will mean there will be pressure on him to perform from the outset.

"If I was another player, sometimes it's difficult, sometimes the pressure is different, but you have to understand that this is football."

"The price is different now than it was 10 years ago. I know I'm under a lot of pressure, but I know I'm a footballer."

"I know my responsibilities, I know this team, I know the people here. I have to play like a normal player, a normal Tottenham player, with passion, putting my energy every day."

"If you put this on the pitch every day, it's different. It's not about 1 million pounds, 10 million pounds, or 100 million pounds. You just need to be a player who is excited for this coach. Put everything on the pitch," he said.

Tottenham continue their preseason against fierce rivals Chelsea on August 1, 2026 in Sydney. After the matches against Getafe and Hoffenheim, they will start the English League season against Brentford on August 22, 2026.