The Italian recently scored in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Brentford at St James’ Park and has cemented himself as a key player in Eddie Howe’s starting line-up after initially being eased into the side.
While Newcastle plan on keeping hold of Tonali, various reports from the continent have linked the midfielder with a move away this summer.
Fresh Sandro Tonali NUFC transfer links emerge
The message from Newcastle is that Tonali is happy and settled on Tyneside as he is currently enjoying his best football since joining the club, playing a key role in the recent Carabao Cup win.
But the message from his representatives is slightly less clear.
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Sandro Tonali’s agent addresses transfer speculation
While various reports from Italy have linked Tonali with a return to Serie A, his agent Beppe Riso admitted such a transfer from Newcastle would be ‘difficult.
Riso stated: “Sandro is one of the best midfielders in the world. He now has a value that Italian clubs will find difficult to afford. I envision a career for him away from Serie A.”
But looking at things from a longer-term perspective, Riso’s GR Sports senior advisor Marianna Mecacci was adamant the Italian would return to his home country at some stage.
“He will return to Italy,” she told Sportitalia. “When? It’s hard to say. He is Italian footballing heritage, it’s beautiful to see a man grow through difficulties. I started following him at Brescia.
“The operation that brought him to England was extraordinary. I realise it caused discontent. Tonali, son of Milan, faith that is there and will remain forever, is sold for a record sum. It was also a choice to try a new experience. As long as the opportunity of the Premier League exists, he will take advantage of it, but it is impossible to think that he will not return to Italian football.”
While the comments are a bit of a U-turn on what Riso said previously, it seems only natural that an Italian player would want to return to his home country at some stage in his career, especially given the fact that he’s still only 24.
But any sale of Tonali this summer would make him the most expensive transfer in Newcastle’s history, in or out. The Magpies would demand close to £100million for the Italian, dwarfing the £35million record sales of Andy Carroll and Elliot Anderson as well as the £63million paid for Alexander Isak in 2022.
Sandro Tonali ‘not bothered’ by Newcastle United transfer speculation
When asked about the speculation linking Tonali with a return Italy, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe laughed before stating: “I hope [we can keep him], I’ve got no plans of losing Sandro.
“I laugh because that [question] seems so out of the blue for me. Sandro is a vital part of what we’re doing and our investment in his was long-term.”
Tonali is understood to be contracted at Newcastle until June 2028. And when asked if he was bothered about the media reports linking him with leaving Newcastle, Tonali told Sky Sports: “No, because, last season as well, I don’t use my phone a lot. I use it only for my family, not for social media. I have social media, but I use it maybe after a game for the highlights, for the game, but not for the transfer.”
When asked if he refrains from using his phone after his 10-month betting ban, Tonali added: “No, I think not for the gambling, but for my life. When I was 17, it was similar. I was so young, but it was similar, because I never used a lot of phones for social media, or for transfers. Yeah, just for my family, for my people.”
