Why Spurs’ £26m target is right for Tonali and Fernandes

Is it any wonder that Tottenham Hotspur have finished 17th in the Premier League in back-to-back years when you look at their illegal transfer record?

Of course, injuries and general performance levels also played a role but the truth of the matter is that they made catastrophic mistakes in the market.

While Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he is targeting Premier League-proven legacies Marc Guehi, Pedro Neto and Antoine Semenyo, the Lilywhites have taken the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Luka Vuskovic.

Sure, they have set themselves a bright future for Spurs over the past few years but they are not ready to take the north Londoners to the next level just yet.

So, it looks like Vinai Venkatesham and Co finally heeded Ange’s advice this summer. The signing of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes would be the best proof of that.

Spurs are targeting a third midfielder behind Tonali and Fernandes

It’s been a great start to the summer for Tottenham with four proven Premier League outfits signing goals in the capital.

Veterans of the game in Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka have both signed and England’s top-class defenders Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke are also now Spurs players.

They could be joined by two big-money additions in the form of Tonali and Fernandes. The latest on those moves is that the latter are now ‘ready’ to sign for Spurs, provided West Ham can agree to the money. It looks like he will be heading to a place where he is paying a lot of money for his services.

As for Tonali, her situation feels uncertain. Boasting a price tag of £100m, Tottenham will have to break their transfer record. There is also a feeling that if Arsenal come calling, the Italian will choose them.

It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a supporter but wouldn’t it be normal if they didn’t make any of these moves?

Alas, those behind the scenes are working on even more deals. The player Roberto De Zerbi admires is Napoli’s Antonio Vergara.

Reports from Italy earlier this week revealed that the Londoners have already submitted an offer to sign Vergara. However, they will face several obstacles in this race, not to mention that the Serie A team has offered him a new contract.

Having also received offers from Bournemouth, Como and Atalanta, Napoli have so far rejected all advances. Last month it was noted that £26m of bids had been rejected.

What Tottenham’s pursuit of Antonio Vergara means for Tonali and Fernandes

Can you imagine if Spurs managed to get their hands on Tonali and Fernandes? When you consider Tottenham’s record, especially in recent years, of missing out on their top targets, it will send shockwaves throughout the Premier League.

In Tonali, they will be signing one of the best midfielders in the game and the heir to Italy in Andrea Pirlo. A deep-lying midfielder who just oozes class, this could be the landmark addition fans have been clamoring for for years.

In Fernandes, they could sign one of the best young midfielders in the game right now. He simply has it all and at 21 years old, he can stand out in the engine room for years to come. As ex-Southampton man Jo Tessem put it where the Portuguese were still at Saints; “Fernandes is becoming the best midfielder in the Premier League. He plays like a Premier League player. He passes like a Premier League player. He is quick like a Premier League player. He behaves very well in midfield.”

The Spurs will soon be able to boast one of the best midfield pairings not just in the league, but in the world.

However, every double pivot needs a creative miracle in front of them, a magic that can open the game and in Vergara, they can find that.

Now, it’s safe to say that the 23-year-old attacking midfielder is not a household name. He actually struggled for regular game time at Naples last term. The Italian has three goals and four assists in 19 outings. Vergara also started eight Serie A matches.

However, don’t let that stop you from being a player you simply enjoy watching in the middle of the field. His stunning goal against Chelsea in the Champions League has drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona and while the similarities may not go much further than that, there’s a lot to like about Vergara. However, US expert Mike Grella still hailed him as “unbelievable” at the time.

Last season, he won three defensive tackles in 90, putting him in the top 1% of players in Europe’s top five leagues for that metric.

Said to be the case with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, via Scout Lab, it was in 2024/25 that we really saw young Italy come to life.

While on loan to AC Reggiana, he scored five goals and had six assists. In the process, Vergara completed a 2.06 dribble efficiency per 90, ranking him first in that metric compared to nearly the same U23 boys in the division. 1.67 of those dribbles went into the final third as well. He just likes to keep playing.

In that season, the Napoli man also made 2.72 runs per 90, again placing him at the top of his age group and the same age group. That’s good news for those behind him.

With those two metrics in mind, in particular, he would match Fernandes and Tonali strategically. With Tonali sitting as the depth of the trio, Fernandes at 8 and Vergara at 10, they could be a match made in heaven.

For the Newcastle star, who has seen the villainous and unlikable Nick Woltemade play ten times before him, he had no doubts about playing alongside someone like Vergara.