It’s been barely a week since the January transfer window shut, and we’ve already become embroiled in a saga that may unfortunately become one of the stories of the summer.
Back on deadline day, surprise reports emerged that Sandro Tonali’s agent had reportedly offered the Italian’s services to Arsenal, a move which the agent promptly and publicly denied.
But when there’s smoke, there’s often fire, and the news has sparked plenty of reports and speculation over Tonali’s future on Tyneside beyond the summer, with another ‘big six’ rival now the latest to be linked.
According to an exclusive from The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Sandro Tonali has been shortlisted by Manchester United in their hunt for a defensive midfielder, as the club looks for long term options to replace the departing Casemiro.
It’s thought former Mag Elliot Anderson is also ‘high on the list’ of potential summer targets at Old Trafford, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton also a player of interest.
Man Utd aren’t the only side tracking Tonali, however, with Man City and Serie A giants Juventus thought to be keen.
Having signed from AC Milan back in 2022 for £55m, McGrath notes that Newcastle will demand a fee ‘in the region of £100m’ to sell the Italian this summer, not only because he has at least three years left on his contract, but because of recent transfers involving Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice and Enzo Fernandez went above that figure.
Last week, Tonali’s agent Guiseppe Risso hinted that even though the 25-year-old is more than content in the North East, the player has ambitions of continuing to play Champions League football, making it all the more imperative that we qualify for next season’s competition at all costs.
For much of this and last season, Tonali has been viewed by fans and higher-ups alike as the crown jewel of the current project: a player who the entire team can be built around.
But few would question the observation that Tonali’s performances in recent weeks have been below his usual high standards, delivering another scrappy display in Saturday’s defeat to Brentford.
Any sale around £100m, nearly doubling our money on the Italian’s initial transfer, would do absolute wonders for our transfer budget and freedom to act in the market.
When it comes to players of Tonali’s profile and calibre, however, there’s very few in the Premier League and in the world who he can be compared to, and selling him to any club would be a huge blow and sign of weakness regarding our league ambitions.
You would like to imagine that selling Tonali could also fund a move for the aforementioned Elliot Anderson to return to the club, but even then that’s all dependent on Nottingham Forest’s situation and if they survive the drop into the Championship.
It would also invite Lewis Miley to fully cement his place as the third midfielder in Howe’s system: the teenager has been our best player in the last couple of months, and the more game time he gets, the better he’s going to get.
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