Tottenham have been among the busiest clubs in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur are expected to complete deals for both Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes this summer, with analyst John Wenham backing the club to pull off a double midfield signing that would represent one of the most significant statements of intent in their recent history.
Wenham’s confidence comes despite Newcastle United having rejected two bids for the €80m Tonali, including an opening offer of £75 million and a second approach that failed to improve sufficiently on that figure to satisfy the Magpies. Tottenham are understood to be preparing a further approach, with Fabrizio Romano already confirming the club want both players rather than treating the pursuits as alternatives to one another.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Wenham drew a compelling and unexpected comparison when assessing the €50m Fernandes’ profile, likening the West Ham midfielder to former Spurs favourite Mousa Dembele in terms of how he carries the ball from deep positions and transitions play forward. He said:
“I think it’s been made clear that Roberto De Zerbi wants both. He wants Tonali as the kind of sitter in the midfield to dictate the play, pick up the ball from the goalkeeper, and start our moves. And he wants Fernandes as somebody with the ability to sit deep, but also drive forward with the ball. It’s an unusual comparison, but as I’ve started to watch more videos of Mateus Fernandes, the way he moves with the ball is a bit similar to how Mousa Dembele operated for Tottenham. Obviously, they’re a very different size, physique, aesthetics, I get that, but the way they carry the ball and transition the ball from the deep part of the pitch forward is quite similar to Mousa Dembele’s style at Tottenham.”
Wenham was also keen to address what the statistics suggest about Fernandes’ actual role, pushing back against the surface-level impression his attacking numbers might create.
“You see these stats of five goals, five assists, and you kind of think he’s an attacking midfielder, Fernandes, but the more I’ve looked into it and the more videos I’ve watched, I can actually see he starts off very deep in the game, and then he brings the ball forward with his ability. I think Tottenham are going to get both.”
Fernandes and Dembele share similar stats
The statistical case for the Dembele comparison holds up under scrutiny. FBref data shows Dembele averaged 0.12 assists per 90 minutes across his 456 career matches, with Fernandes averaging 0.10. Their combined goal involvement figures sit at 0.23 and 0.18 respectively. Tackles won per 90 stand at 1.72 for Dembele and 1.83 for Fernandes, while interceptions register at 1.06 and 0.91. The similarities across multiple defensive and progressive metrics are striking enough to give the comparison genuine analytical credibility rather than simply a flattering narrative flourish.
The tactical picture Wenham describes is equally compelling. Tonali as the deep-lying dictator who receives from the goalkeeper and sets the tempo, with Fernandes providing progressive carrying, physicality, and late arrivals from deep areas, would give De Zerbi the kind of complementary midfield pairing capable of genuinely transforming how Tottenham control matches. Combined with the arrivals already completed this summer and the other positions being addressed simultaneously, the double midfield signing would signal a club no longer simply rebuilding but actively aiming to challenge for the top half of the Premier League table from the very first day of the new season.
