Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali as Manchester City have now joined the race to sign the Italian, according to Chronicle Live.

Tonali enjoyed an impressive 2025/26 season, despite the Magpies’ struggles, scoring three goals and registering six assists in 53 appearances across all competitions. This campaign has sparked interest in the 26-year-old from a host of top clubs, including Spurs, Manchester United, Arsenal and now Man City.

Tottenham are understood to be frontrunners in the chase for the Italy international, although a twist in the saga has seemingly now unfolded.

Newcastle are braced for a bidding war between interested parties, with City’s emerging interest set to prompt an intense transfer battle.

Man City join race for Sandro Tonali

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Tottenham have reportedly already agreed personal terms with Tonali, while other reports suggest that they’ve tabled a bid worth around £75 million for the midfield maestro, which was swiftly rejected by Newcastle.

These developments seem to indicate that Spurs are well out in front in the race for the former AC Milan man’s signature, although Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder reports that Man City have entered the fray, as expected.

Sources close to Tonali’s camp describe City as genuine candidates to lure the player away from Tyneside this summer. Enzo Maresca is understood to be a keen admirer of the energetic number eight, and the Citizens are now prepared to hijack Tottenham’s move for him.

City would “easily match” Spurs’ £275,000-per-week contract offer to Tonali, according to the report, as they look to bolster a midfield department which has lost Bernardo Silva and needs a long-term replacement for Rodri.

The north-west outfit may have just splashed £116million on Elliot Anderson, but they’re eager to provide new manager Enzo Maresca with additional midfield firepower to ensure he has the tools to field a competitive team in the post-Pep Guardiola era.

City’s Tonali interest a serious blow for Tottenham

Spurs have seemingly set their sights on Tonali and may have begun preparing for life with the Newcastle man. Roberto De Zerbi holds a close relationship with the player’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, and this link may have been the catalyst for this deal developing to the stage it has.

However, City’s interest presents a spanner in the works for the Lilywhites. The temptation of playing for a club expected to compete for major honours, rather than a side rebuilding after near relegation, could well be too much for Tonali to turn down.

Spurs are now at serious risk of missing out on their top midfield target, which would force them to assess other options. Mateus Fernandes has been linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although West Ham are supposedly looking for an excessive fee for the Portuguese midfielder.

Celtic may be forced to cash in on star player Arne Engels this summer as clubs across the Premier League and Europe circle for the Belgian midfielder’s signature.

The Scottish giants will be hoping for a less chaotic season this campaign after last term saw two permanent managers depart with Martin O’Neill signing a permanent deal following two interim spells in charge.

O’Neill did lead the Parkhead club to the Premiership title on the final day, edging Hearts in a dramatic 3-1 win, as well as the Scottish FA Cup, beating Dunfermline in the final, also by a 3-1 scoreline.

Alongside their league campaign, Celtic once again competed in Europe, reaching the first knockout stage before losing to Stuttgart.

Now, with numerous high profile clubs targeting a move for Engels, the 22-year-old is likely to seek a new challenge this summer. Although Premier League clubs have been linked with a move, an Italian side are the latest to have approached Celtic.

Roma targeting Engels

According to Il Messaggero, via Sport Witness, Italian outfit AS Roma have made ‘initial contact’ with Engels’ representatives in ‘recent days’.

Roma are prepared to lose France midfielder Manu Kone this summer and are seeking potential alternatives. The report adds that Celtic value Engels at around €20-25million, a fee the Italian side could afford.

Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are two of the English clubs that have been named as other potential destinations for the 22-year-old.

Forest are set to receive a major windfall from selling Elliot Anderson to Manchester City in a deal worth in excess of £116million while Palace have Europa League football on offer this season after the Europa Conference League triumph.

Engels is ready for the next step

Since his move to Celtic from Augsburg in 2024, Engels has comfortably been one of the Hoops’ best players and now seems to have outgrown the Scottish Premiership.

The midfielder made 46 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring seven goals and registering eight assists, scoring vital goals in title-clinching victories against Hearts and Dunfermline.

Labelled “outstanding” by former manager Brendan Rodgers, Engels still has two years left on his current Celtic deal and is also a senior Belgium international with four caps to his name. Therefore, the Hoops could demand more than the €20million to 25million quoted, especially if selling to an English club.

A number of Celtic players of the past have made the move from Parkhead to the Premier League and done well, but Roma could also be an attractive proposition with the Italian side qualifying for the Champions League after their third-place finish in Serie A.

Manchester United could save themselves over £100m in the summer transfer window after an update emerged from Fabrizio Romano.

It’s been a busy summer transfer window for the Red Devils as they look to improve their squad in order to prepare for a season in the Champions League.

The main focus has been on looking to bring in new midfielders, but there’s no doubt they could also be aiming to strengthen in other areas of the pitch.

Competing in the Champions League is a huge boost for the Red Devils, but it also means they need a bigger and more competitive squad.

United were without the distraction of European football last season, which undoubtedly helped Michael Carrick to turn things back in the right direction.

Man Utd Could Save £100m+

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Manchester United have been linked with a move to sign Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers in the summer transfer window, with the Midlands club demanding over £100m to allow him to depart.

The Red Devils are clearly looking to strengthen in the forward line, not just in midfield, with Rogers one of the reported targets.

Despite that, United could save themselves over £100m after a recent claim by Italian journalist Romano.

The respected reporter has suggested that United have held talks with Marcus Rashford, and they are now open to welcoming him back to training to start pre-season with Carrick.

There’s no guarantee that he will remain at the club, but it appears the doors have been opened for him to reintegrate back into the senior squad.

This could save United millions if they bring Rashford back into the fold as an option on the left-hand side of attack rather than splashing out on Rogers.

Rashford Could Explode Under Carrick

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With the style that Carrick has looked to implement at Old Trafford, Rashford could be an ideal player for his system.

The England international is deadly in transition, and United have looked to play counter-attacking football under Carrick in his short period in charge.

United already have Matheus Cunha, who plays on the left-hand side, so there’s no need for them to splash out on someone like Rogers, especially when they can reintegrate Rashford.

The former Barcelona loanee could explode under Carrick, and if they are struggling to offload him this summer, it makes sense to give him another opportunity under the new manager.