Not but a day after securing an 85 million pound transfer for West Ham United star Mateus Fernandes to vastly upgrade their defensive midfield, Tottenham Hotspur splashed an even more incredible 100 million pounds to sign the other big time midfielder Roberto De Zerbi was desperate to bring to the club, Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali.
Tottenham now have a totally different looking starting midfield on their hands with Tonali and Fernandes immediately starting at their level of quality - and those prices. Spurs definitely needed a midfield overhaul after years of being made to look second rate in the Premier League, particularly tactically when it came to their security and control over matches, which will dramatically change with Fernandes and Tonali playing together.
Spurs suddenly are rife with depth in midfield, too. Because behind Tonali and Fernandes, Spurs will have Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher, Lucas Bergvall, and Archie Gray in the squad. And while the young Bergvall is the one pining for a transfer out, which Spurs do not appear to be interested in listening to, Bentancur looks like the more logical odd man out.
Sandro Tonali is a major upgrade for Spurs
Although Spurs already relieved the squad of one midfielder in free agent Yves Bissouma this summer, they probably do need to consider letting another player go, especially a veteran like Bentancur with wages and the expectations of starting most games.
While Bentancur improved vastly in the later stages of the season after returning from a tough hamstring injury, playing well enough to help Tottenham survive the Premier League, he could join Joao Palhinha as another key contributor down the stretch who may need to go.
Bentancur does not have the same athleticism, quality as a creator, or bravery on the ball that Tonali and Fernandes do. And he definitely cannot win posession like them. Maybe Bentancur is willing to be the veteran backup and even cede minutes to Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, but maybe the Uruguayan international has other plans on how he would like to live out the remainder of the theoretical prime of his career - and there are surely clubs in Spain and Italy who would love to have him.
Tottenham cannot forget that for most of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Rodrigo Bentancur simply was not good enough, and that was also the case before that, including at Juventus. With Sandro Tonali, the former AC Milan star, joining Spurs as a clear leader, starter, and better player than Benta, the Uruguayan's days are truly numbered.
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