'Nothing to do with football': John Barnes on Sandro Tonali's Spurs move

Newcastle United fans are under no illusions as to why Sandro Tonali is heading to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The Magpies are set to bag £100 million for the sale of the Italian midfielder, and while there are obviously some who are questioning the 26-year-old's sanity, many of us know exactly what's going on.

It seems strange that Tonali would leave Newcastle for a team that has finished 17th the last two seasons and was absolutely woeful last season, but you don't have to look far to see the reasons why he's done it.

First up is money. Spurs were ready to throw everything at Tonali to ensure he went there over Manchester City or Arsenal. They have doubled his wages,  and the signing-on fees for him and his agent won't have been too bad either.

Players want to be in London 

However, as much as we hate this reason and we think it's overused in the media, there is some truth to it. London is a draw for players, especially foreign players. That's what John Barnes feels was the big reason behind Tonali's switch, as he told BetFred (via The Chronicle).

"Except for Liverpool and Manchester United, it’s always been the same, for years and years and years, players playing anywhere north of Birmingham want to move to London.

"As much as Newcastle United are doing better than Tottenham, there are foreign players who would rather live in London.

“Foreign players don’t have an allegiance to anywhere in England, even though a move to Liverpool or Manchester United is a bit different, so if a club from London comes calling, then they’re going to go.

"When people wonder why this move could happen, it’s nothing to do with football.”

London calling? Tell them I'm outside breathing in fresh air!

There was always a feeling that the call of London was going to be too strong for Tonali, but more specifically, his wife, who opted to give birth to their first child in a London hospital. 

Milan to Newcastle is quite a culture shift, and while the pair seemed to love it initially, they clearly miss the glitz and glamour of a big city. I personally couldn't think of anything worse, which is why this whole "London" excuse is so sickening to me.

I guess when money is no object, living in a huge city isn't so bad.

This London thing is going to haunt Newcastle forever, and it's something that needs to be built into the club's sales pitch when recruiting players. Bigging up Newcastle as a city, but also stating how easy it is to get to London on days off. Until that is, Newcastle becomes a draw like Manchester or Liverpool.