Sandro Tonali told Eddie Howe he wanted to leave Newcastle - Report

Sandro Tonali is heading to Tottenham Hotspur in a £100 million deal after weeks of speculation.

Newcastle United are set for a second bumper payday in as many years following the £125m sale of Alexander Isak last summer, and now the £100m sale of Sandro Tonali to Spurs.

David Hopkinson warned fans that the club would have to get better at selling players, and they're certainly doing that with Tonali heading for the exit and Anthony Gordon having already left.

There also needs to be some work done on keeping players, however, as Tonali's sale wasn't just a case of needing the money.

Sandro Tonali was pushing for a move behind the scenes

Sandro Tonali's agent Giuseppe Riso wasn't exactly hiding the fact that he was searching for a new club for his client. Riso had been quite vocal about it since February, and while we (well, I) tried to deny he'd leave, it always felt inevitable.

The Chronicle has now revealed that Tonali told Eddie Howe a while ago that he wanted a new challenge after three years on Tyneside. The two still had a rock-solid relationship, with Tonali very appreciative of Howe's support during his 10-month ban.

It was also noted that Tonali had become unsettled, and it was thought to be a big reason for his dip in form last season.

Despite this, though, Newcastle still managed to stand firm and get their asking price for the Italian, which apparently annoyed Spurs, but with Manchester City circling, the North London side were left with no choice but to put up or shut up.

This should keep Bruno at the Toon

While not a cast-iron guarantee, we'd like to think that the sale of Tonali means we will definitely keep hold of Bruno Guimaraes this summer after the captain was linked with a possible move away.

We can't see any logic in letting both leave, even if we got £100m for Bruno too. We can replace one with a couple of younger signings who could grow into the role, but we can't replace both.

All in all, this is tremendous business by Newcastle. They got the figure they were demanding and managed to shift an unsettled player before they brought down those around them.

We have to give huge thanks to Sandro Tonali for his graft over the years, but more importantly, for going about getting his move the right way.