According to Chronicle Live, former Newcastle player John Barnes stated that Tonali's departure from Newcastle to Tottenham this summer had less to do with footballing factors and more to do with lifestyle and family considerations. He also believes Newcastle will continue to face difficulties in attracting and retaining top players in the future.

This week, Tonali transferred to Tottenham for £100 million. Previously, Antony-Gordon also left to join Barcelona, while Arsenal remain interested in Bruno Guimarães.

Discussing Tonali's departure, Barnes said: "Apart from Liverpool and Man United, it has been like this for years: players who play north of Birmingham all want to move to London."

"Even though Newcastle's progress is currently ahead of Tottenham's, many foreign players still prefer to live in London."

Barnes believes that Tonali's departure was not for competitive reasons, but was more of a lifestyle choice.

"Foreign players do not have the same special sense of belonging to a specific English city as local players do. Except for special clubs like Liverpool and Man United, if a London team approaches them, they often consider joining."

"Many people wonder why such a transfer happens, but it has nothing to do with football itself."

Tonali also spoke about his decision to join Tottenham while leaving Milan Airport.

He said: "Of course, I'm very happy. We decided to make a change and are ready for this new adventure."

"Newcastle want me to have the best possible future, and we also hope the club achieves the best possible results. I think when everything is handled this way, it is best for everyone. We are all happy, and I am ready for a new challenge."

When asked why he chose Tottenham, Tonali said: "De Zerbi played a very important role in this, you could say. It was also a lifestyle choice. We left Newcastle, and after our child was born, our lives changed, so we decided to make some changes. De Zerbi played a big part, and he did a great job."

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