Tottenham Hotspur splurged nearly 200 million pounds on a new midfield duo in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, and the fans of rival Premier League Big SIx sides that missed out on the two have suddenly started to spin this story that Tonali and Fernandes are overpays and not that good.
But for Spurs, the takeaway from the Fernandes and Tonali signing thus far is both very simple and very different from what Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United supporters want to portray. The word of the day for Roberto De Zerbi is control, and these two, as evidenced in the preseason, are giving Spurs exactly that.
And while people can point to opponents like Getafe and Hoffenheim being at a lower level than who Spurs want to compete with in the Premier League to reach their goal of returning to the Champions League in 2027/28, these are not easy teams to go up against with totally different playing styles. Getafe sit back in Europe's most formidable low block, while Hoffenheim are a pressing juggernaut.
Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes look totally worth it
Against both of these opponents, the Tottenham Hotspur midfield was in command, and Tonali, in particular, looked comfortable pulling the strings, but Fernandes was also brilliant in his biggest piece of preseason action to close the summer against Hoffenheim. Furthermore, though it is painful to admit, both Hoffenheim and Getafe were simply significantly better teams than Tottenham were last season.
From Spurs perspective, they can already tell that Tonali and Fernandes are going to be worth it for them, because the technical quality, sense of control, and range of progressive passing - not to mention their excellent defensive work - they are already bringing speak volumes and are shining examples of what they can bring to the table.
Tottenham spent the kind of money that they did on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes because Roberto De Zerbi knew he needed their traits above all else, and that he was missing defensive midfielders who could both dictate the game and get the team revved up going forward with their quality. And while everyone saw Tonali's ability on the ball as a passer coming, Fernandes, too, has impressed with his technique and reading of the game, even at a younger age.
Spurs are going into the 2026/27 Premier League season with a lot of confidence in these two, and though criticisms of the price tags will follow, the Lilywhites won't really be paying them any attention.
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