Newcastle United are reportedly on the verge of signing AC Milan playmaker Sandro Tonali and are ready to double his wages.
According to The Athletic, Newcastle United are closing in on signing 23-year-old midfielder from AC Milan in a €70 million deal. The Tyneside club are also ready to double the wages of the 23-year-old Italian international.
Having clinched a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season, the Magpies know very well that they must strengthen their squad for their upcoming participation in the UEFA Champions League.
Eddie Howe is determined to bolster their midfield ahead of the new season. But it has proven difficult so far in this heavily bloated transfer market. After targeting Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella, talks have gone quiet, with the Italian giants wanting major money for his services.
Newcastle are also strongly interested in Leicester City ace James Maddison, who has been their long-term transfer target since last summer. However, the Foxes’ asking price is fairly steep, especially considering that Maddison only has one year left on his contract. And Tottenham are currently favourites to sign him, with the player reportedly preferring a move to London.
RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai has also been linked with a switch to St James’ Park. But again, his release clause is said to be out of range. Now the Tyneside-based outfit have turned their attention towards Sandro Tonali, with a €70 million deal now believed to be on the cards.
What’s more, the Magpies have offered the player more than double his current salary in AC Milan to lure him to the Premier League. A new box-to-box versatile midfielder is among Newcastle’s top priorities for this summer’s transfer window.
But they are also lacking strength-in-depth in the holding midfielder. And signing another elite talent to operate alongside Bruno Guimaraes is said to be imperative, especially after selling the only other natural defensive midfield option in Jonjo Shelvey to Nottingham Forest in January.
The 23-year-old, who has been dubbed “the new Andrea Pirlo” thanks to his exceptional playmaking attributes, made 48 appearances for the Milan outfit in all competitions last season as they finished fourth in Serie A and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
He also played a key role in them winning the Serie A title in the 2021/22 season and will surely be seen as a statement signing for the Magpies this summer. Milan do not necessarily have to be under pressure to sell Tonali, who only recently signed a new contract until June 2027.
However, they could use the sizable sum from the sale in order to rebuild their depleted squad. Newcastle United’s €70 million deal is a statement maker. But they will still have their work cut out in order to convince the player, who is a lifelong Rossoneri supporter and is seen as a future captain by Milan fans.