‘My wife...’ - Sandro Tonali breaks silence after facing Newcastle United boo boys

Sandro Tonali has joked that his wife already knows London better than he does after joining Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle United received a hefty £100million for the Italian in July. Despite not scoring a Premier League goal last season, Spurs paid a club-record fee to prise Tonali from St James’ Park.

The move raised eyebrows considering Tottenham’s consecutive 17th-placed finishes. Arsenal and Manchester City were the two clubs understood to be considering a swoop last season.

However, Spurs won the race for his signature as part of a £340million rebuild in North London. Tonali - who now pockets a staggering £275,000 per week - made no secret of his desire to live in the capital.

This led to him facing the wrath of the Toon boo boys 10 days ago. The full hymn sheet was belted out from the Tottenham away end as Newcastle fans ultimately had the last laugh with a 2-0 victory.

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Speaking to Soccer Bible, Tonali opened up about London being “very different” to his Newcastle surroundings. He also noted how his wife, Juliette, enjoyed a much smoother transition.

“It's a busy city,” Tonali said. “It's a new city. It's very different to where I was before. But I found the people lovely here so far. I’m lucky as well that my wife already knew London better than me. As long as I have her and my family - everything is good.”

Tonali advised the next generation of footballers to chase their dreams while discussing life as a modern-day footballer. He added: “It’s important to never stop dreaming. And dream big. I always imagined playing in the Serie A, Premier League, the best league in the world. I think you never really stop dreaming until the end of your career. So yes, my advice for any young player is to never stop.

“It’s tough (being a modern footballer) because you have to live and breathe football every day and every week. I like the media side and the fan culture. Playing in Italy and now in England, the fans are such a big part of the game. I’m getting more interested in the fashion side now… but not as much as some of the other guys!”