Arsenal turned down the chance to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali due to his wage demands and agent fees

Arsenal turned down the chance to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali due to his wage demands and agent fees

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have agreed a £100 million deal for Arsenal target Sandro Tonali. The Gunners were keen on the Magpies star as manager Mikel Arteta wants reinforcements at the Emirates Stadium club. However, Arsenal ultimately turned down the chance to bring Tonali to the North London club due to his wage demands and agent fees, according to ChronicleLive’s Lee Ryder. Spurs were open to doing a deal despite those demands, and have handed the Italian a £275,000-a-week deal, almost double his present earnings.

Spurs are paying an initial £92.5m with £7.5m in add-ons having offered an initial £85m two weeks ago. They will be glad to have pipped Arsenal to one of the best players in the Premier League after they lost Eberechi Eze to their bitter rivals last summer. Spurs have also signed Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United in a £85m deal and are strengthening their squad for next season. They watched painfully as Arsenal secured the Premier League title last term while they almost got relegated.

Spurs have responded by splashing the cash, with manager Roberto De Zerbi recruiting the services of Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke last month.