The 11 metrics that prove Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes will fix Tottenham midfield

Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes could be set to revolutionise how Tottenham play under Roberto De Zerbi. The former West Ham United star completed a move to the North London outfit for £85million this summer. Spurs didn't stop there, investing around £100m to sign the Italy international from Newcastle United. It would be surprising to see De Zerbi start Tonali and Fernandes in his new-look Tottenham midfield next season, with their elite on-ball qualities making a big difference. The North London outfit were slow and weak in the middle of the park as they battled relegation in the 2025-26 campaign. There was a lack of creativity in Spurs' engine room under Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, something the Italian manager will certainly fix going forward. What Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes fix at Tottenham Tottenham can finally have a deep-lying playmaker capable of making line-breaking passes for De Zerbi, with Tonali averaging 0.9 key passes per game in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore. With 84 per cent passing accuracy, the Italy international is certainly comfortable with the ball at his feet, creating six big chances as well. The 26-year-old will bring defensive grit to Spurs' engine room, with his 4.2 ball recoveries and winning 3.1 duels per game highlighting his elite qualities out of possession. As for Fernandes, he will bring added flair to the North London outfit, creating three big chances and averaging one key pass per game for West Ham, according to Sofascore. The 22-year-old also has elite press resistance, completing 83 per cent of his passes in the opposition half, with 0.8 successful dribbles per game. Defensively, the Portugal international doesn't shy away from challenges, winning 55 per cent of them, and led the pressing from the front, winning possession 0.5 times per game in the final third. Tottenham: Sandro Tonali is made for Spurs - Andrea Pirlo knew he'd be great What does the £185m investment mean for other Spurs midfielders? With Tottenham spending a significant sum on Tonali and Fernandes, it's clear that they're expected to make the starting lineup immediately. That would leave the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall with question marks over their futures in N17. Conor Gallagher is also surely left with uncertainty around his future in North London, having only arrived in the winter transfer window. Archie Gray needs regular minutes to continue his development at Spurs, but it remains to be seen what role De Zerbi has in store for him.