Reports suggest Newcastle could sell Eddie Howe
Newcastle are ‘reluctantly ready’ to sell midfielder Sandro Tonali at the end of the season after he has ‘struggled to settle’ on Tyneside, according to reports.
The 24-year-old’s Newcastle career has never really taken off and was disrupted by the fact he was banned for 10 months for breaching betting rules.
Tonali was considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe during his time at AC Milan. He has put in some good performances for the Magpies, but it’s claimed he could move on to a new challenge next season.
According to Football Insider, a ‘shock transfer’ could be on the cards for Tonali next season. He is ‘attracting interest’ from Juventus and it is believed ‘a big offer would be carefully considered by Newcastle.’
The report states Tonali will not leave Newcastle in January but he could be sold at the end of the campaign. The Magpies are currently unable to spend big on new players despite their huge financial resources due to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). A big-money sale of Tonali could change that.
He has started just eight Premier League games so far this season, perhaps less than some Newcastle fans would have wanted. Tonali did play the full 90 minutes of Newcastle’s 4-0 win over Ipswich on Saturday, however.
Tonali joined Newcastle in the summer of 2023 for £60million (including add-ons). If you factor in the add-ons he is Newcastle’s club-record signing. He is also the most expensive Italian player of all time.
Sandro Tonali is happy at Newcastle – sources
Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that despite some wild speculation that Tonali is unhappy at Newcastle, that is not actually the case.
We understand that Tonali is in fact very content with life at St James’ Park and is determined to make his time in the Premier League a success.
Newcastle, for their part, are certainly unwilling to sell Tonali in January and don’t want to lose him next summer either.
It is true, though, that PSR could mean the Magpies are forced to make at least one big-money sale – if they want to invest heavily in their squad.
Newcastle manager Howe refuted the rumours in a recent press conference, laughing off the speculation.
“I’ve got no plans of losing Sandro. I laugh because that [question] seems so out of the blue for me,” Howe said. “Sandro is a vital part of what we’re doing and our investment in his was long-term.”
TEAMtalk understands it is very unlikely that Newcastle do sell Tonali. He is still young, has potential to improve and the player has no desire to leave the club, contrary to some reports.
Newcastle latest: Tomori battle ignites / Isak, Arsenal update
Meanwhile, we understand that AC Milan are considering selling centre-back Fikayo Tomori and Newcastle are one of the clubs in the mix for his signature.
The latest reports claim that Aston Villa and West Ham United are ready to battle Newcastle for the signing of Tomori in January.
All three Prem clubs are reportedly ‘ready to come forward’ for him, which suggests bids are being drawn up.
The report claims that it is ‘difficult to imagine’ Tomori leaving Milan mid-season, though TEAMtalk understands the Rossoneri would be happy to sell in January so his value does not fall further.
Milan have given the 27-year-old a price tag of €30million (£24.9m / $31.2m), a sum which Newcastle view as fair.
In other news, Arsenal continue to keep close tabs on in-form Newcastle striker Alexander Isak as Mikel Arteta looks to bring in attacking reinforcements.
The Gunners are well aware, however, that it would be an incredibly difficult and expensive transfer to do, with Isak’s valuation being north of £115million.
The forward spoke about the speculation in a recent interview. “My situation at Newcastle? I have never had any problem there. Much of what I read (about myself) is not true,” Isak said.
