ENIC ready to “break the bank” to sign Spurs’ best players since Van de Ven

There needs to be a change in approach at Tottenham Hotspur this summer, as recruitment has been abysmal in recent years.

The arrivals in 2025 did not set the world on fire, as the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus saw their seasons disrupted by injury, while Randal Kolo Muani scored one Premier League goal following his loan move from Paris Saint-Germain.

In the 2024 crop, Lucas Bergvall is already looking for an exit, both Wilson Odobert and Dominic Solanke are tied up with injuries, and Archie Gray could find himself blocked from arriving in midfield.

Since 2023, and Ange Postecoglou’s first summer in charge, Spurs have enjoyed considerable success in the market, with Micky van de Ven’s purchase from Wolfsburg still standing out as the club’s best move.

The Dutchman is still on the bench for future signings, with all eyes on who might join him in the N17 ahead of next season.

Spurs are now ready to “break the bank” for a marquee signing

June is not over yet, and four new signings have already been made, with backup goalkeeper Martin Dubravka joining Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke in north London.

Van Hecke being the youngest of the quartet at the age of 26 speaks of a real sea change in recruitment, with youth – as signings such as Grey, Bergvall and Simons proving – previously the voice.

Former Brighton and Hove Albion, for example, Roberto De Zerbi fell apart amid disagreements with owner Tony Bloom over the club’s transfer policy, with the Italian seemingly insisting on getting additions ready-made.

It seems that he continued these demands at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, when Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United fell into that category.

ENIC’s pursuit of the 26-year-old is disappointing, with journalist Graeme Bailey suggesting they are ready to “break the bank” to sign the Italy international, both in wages and transfer money.

For Tonali’s part, the former AC Milan man is said to be “ready and willing” to move to north London, according to Bailey, three years after joining the Magpies in a £55m deal.

Why Tonali could be Spurs’ best player in years

In a positive sense, Newcastle’s pursuit of a star almost feels like Spurs, as the club rarely bring in players at their true peak.

North London, and successfully so, is often a place for young talent to be nurtured, not least under Mauricio Pochettino, with Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Heung-min Son all flourishing during the Argentine’s reign.

Yet signing genuine, top-class talent was rarely on the agenda, with fans forced to watch last summer as Spurs missed out on a string of marquee targets, namely Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Eberechi Eze.

All being well, those days may be over, as Tonali is one of the best in his position, among the cream of the crop at Premier League level, in particular.

In the view of former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, Tonali is without a doubt i Midfielder in the division when he is at his best, which is probably “better than this [Declan] Rice”.

He may not have lived up to his billing in a tough 2025/26 campaign at St James’ Park, but on his day the 26-year-old can be a real force, a truly powerful force in the center of the park.

Like Van de Ven at centre-back, it’s hard not to appreciate Tonali’s athleticism and movement, able to play down the pitch at a high level under Eddie Howe.

According to Scout Lab, for example, he ranks in the top 7% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in defensive percentage, a truly ball-winning machine at his best.

Encouragingly, there is silk to match steel, as evidenced by the fact that he ranks 19% successful in the final third of 90, always looking for that continuous, probing pass.

Van de Ven, who moves from his centre-back position, is an equal forward, with the Netherlands star ranking in the top 16% of centre-backs with a consistent pass percentage of 90.

More often than not, the talented centre-back drags this Spurs team up the pitch, which proves to be a huge asset in the Premier League.

Tonali is cut from the same cloth, and there may be little concern about his ability to fit in, perhaps emerging as the team’s best player since he usurped Germany’s Van de Ven three years ago.