Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of completing a remarkable double deal for midfield duo Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for a combined fee of around £185 million, according to reports.
Fernandes Deal Already Sealed
Spurs announced the signing of Fernandes from rivals West Ham for a club-record £85 million on Thursday. However, they are not done there and look set to break their club transfer record for the second time in a matter of days as they finalise a £100 million deal for Tonali, who has been undergoing a medical at Hotspur Way.
Aggressive Summer Recruitment
Tottenham have been aggressive in the transfer market early and Tonali would represent their sixth new signing of the summer already, following the arrivals of Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka. The speed at which Spurs have done their business has been impressive and marks a stark change from previous transfer windows, where the club have often rushed to get deals done before the deadline.
Potential Debut Dates
The first batch of Tottenham players return to pre-season training on Friday, July 10, and the club hopes that both Fernandes and Tonali will be in the building then as Roberto De Zerbi prepares for his first full season in charge. A hectic pre-season schedule sees Spurs take on MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday, July 22, before they travel to New Zealand a day later to start their summer tour.
That game against MK Dons at Hotspur Way, while not accessible to fans, could offer Tonali and Fernandes the chance to make their Spurs debuts and allow De Zerbi to assess his new midfield talent.
Pre-Season Tour and Beyond
Spurs’ first pre-season game in front of a crowd will be on Sunday, July 26, when they take on Auckland FC at Eden Park as part of the New Zealand International Football Festival. With neither Tonali nor Fernandes taking part in this summer’s World Cup, they should be able to join up immediately with Spurs’ squad and will expect to make the trip out to New Zealand and Australia.
After taking on Auckland FC, Spurs will then head to Australia to meet Sydney FC at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday, July 29, before facing London rivals Chelsea at Accor Stadium on Sunday, August 1, as part of the 2026 Sydney Super Cup. Upon their return to England, Spurs will round off pre-season with a double-header against German outfit Hoffenheim one week before the start of the new Premier League campaign.
