Tottenham’s new signing Sandro Tonali was reportedly more interested in joining Arsenal this summer, according to sources at Newcastle United.
The Italian midfielder’s move from Newcastle to Spurs was officially confirmed earlier, with the club and supporters welcoming the arrival of a proven Premier League performer.
However, Tonali’s message to Tottenham fans claiming they were his only option appears to contradict what Newcastle sources are telling the press.
According to the Daily Mail, Tonali had been leaning toward a switch to Arsenal, only for the Gunners to pull out due to the significant financial demands of the deal.
The transfer reportedly cost Tottenham a final fee of £100 million, with Tonali set to earn £280,000 a week on a six-year contract at Spurs.
Those figures go a long way toward explaining why Arsenal ultimately decided against pursuing the 26-year-old despite his clear qualities as a midfielder.
Arsenal already boast a well-stocked midfield unit featuring Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, making the case for Tonali harder to justify.
Christian Norgaard barely featured for Mikel Arteta’s side last season, which highlights a need for depth, but a £100 million signing would expect regular first-team football.
It is difficult to see where Tonali would have fitted into Arteta’s plans in a way that justified such an enormous financial commitment from the club.
Arsenal are still reportedly active in the transfer market, with the Daily Mail linking them to both Bruno Guimaraes and Alex Scott, neither of whom will come cheap.
Whether Arsenal will come to regret allowing rivals Tottenham to secure Tonali’s signature ahead of them remains to be seen as the summer window progresses.
Only time will tell if the decision to walk away from the deal turns out to be a shrewd piece of financial planning or a costly missed opportunity.
