New Delhi, July 2 -- LONDON - Roberto De Zerbi needed a midfielder who could change the tempo of a game. What he wanted, it emerged Tuesday, was someone who had once been forced to watch from the sidelines for ten months because he had placed bets on football matches, including games involving his own club. Tottenham Hotspur agreed a £100 million deal with Newcastle United to sign Sandro Tonali, the Italian international whose story now includes a gambling ban, a comeback, and the most expensive transfer Spurs have completed in years.

The fee demands context. Newcastle paid AC Milan £55 million for Tonali in the summer of 2023, which was a club record at the time. De Zerbi's Tottenham is paying £100 million for a player wh...