Spurs close to agreeing personal terms to sign £85m star

Tottenham Hotspur have come out of the blocks at the start of this transfer window at an almighty rate of knots.

No other side in the Premier League has shown as much ambition as Spurs have in the opening weeks of the summer. To be fair to them, they needed to do something special after the disastrous season they just had.

In an alternate reality, the Lilywhites have been relegated and are trying to force through moves for proven EFL talent.

Yet, the reality is a great deal more exciting that than, so much so that it almost defies belief if we’re being totally honest.

After bolstering their defence with the additions of Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and legendary full-back Andy Robertson, Spurs are trying to complete a deal for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.

Club-record signing could be completed by Spurs

If you told Tottenham fans a month ago they would be not just in the race for Tonali but have a genuine chance of securing his signature, they would have laughed in your face.

Yet, here they are, having already seen their first bid worth £75m rejected by Newcastle United. Spurs will return again and with the player having reportedly already agreed personal terms with the club, a deal is really on the table here.

What is reportedly helping in negotiations is the connection that De Zerbi and Tonali have, both hailing from the same part of Italy, Brescia.

While that alone will not be enough to conclude a deal, particularly with Manchester City and Arsenal interested, they have a very good chance of bringing him to north London.

That said, Spurs are not just looking at signing one elite midfielder. They have also looked at West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes.

They have already spoken to the Hammers about a potential move, lodging an enquiry at the start of last week. Now, they are in conversation with the player.

That’s according to reports from Spain that suggests Fernandes is actually “very close” to reaching an agreement on personal terms with Spurs.

The Irons star is said to be “open” to signing for the Lilywhites, although no official negotations have taken place yet with West Ham.

It’s widely expected that the Portuguese midfielder will sign for Manchester United this summer but Spurs are in the race too. One of the biggest sticking points could be a fee. West Ham reportedly value him at £85m.

Why Fernandes could explode at Spurs like Kudus

Let’s cast our minds back to a year ago. Ange Postecoglou had just left Spurs and Thomas Frank was now manager.

The goal was to take Tottenham to the top. There was no chance they were going to be finishing 17th again, right…right? Think again. No matter what Spurs did last summer, it all unravelled rather quickly.

Perhaps the best thing they did was to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham to the tune of £55m. While the winger ended the season due to injury, subsequently missing the World Cup with Ghana, he was arguably the club’s best player in the opening half of the campaign.

Kudus finished the season with just three goals and six assists in 26 matches but he was far better than those statistics read. Creatively, he was exceptional. He took little time to get up to speed in Spurs colours.

A year on, the Lilywhites could repeat that trick to sign another West Ham player, albeit in very different circumstances. Indeed, after being relegated, it is widely expected that the Hammers will have to sell Fernandes and other first-team stars.

In the Portuguese, they would be getting one of the Premier League’s best midfielders last term, a player who could take to life at Spurs like a duck to water, much like Kudus did.

The advantage of signing Premier League proven players is that you know what you are getting. There’s largely very little risk involved, even if it hasn’t always gone perfectly for Spurs. Richarlison, we’re looking at you.

However, in Fernandes, Tottenham should be confident of getting another Kudus, not another Richarlison. Why? Well, he’s remarkably consistent and at the age of 21, is one of the best players in his position across the continent.

When compared to U21 midfielders in Europe’s top seven leagues throughout 2025/26, the youngster ranked second for progressive passes completed while he ranked first for possession won, defensive duels won and interceptions.

He is the perfect Premier League midfielder. He’s got an aggressive side but he’s also pretty on the eye in possession. He’s a very good carrier of the ball and like Kudus before he moved, demonstrated that he can thrive in a team that is not particularly dominant in possession.

That Kudus move looked like a masterclass after the opening few months of the season and it would be an even bigger coup if they were able to beat Man United to Fernandes.

There is a real belief here that he could become one of the best midfielders in the world. Barely into his 20s, he’s certainly already one of the best in the league.