Chelsea were pushing to sign Sandro Tonali before Newcastle United swooped in with a substantial financial offer to AC Milan.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea were heavily interested in signing Sandro Tonali before Newcastle United. The London giants made several proposals, including a choice of players for AC Milan to select. But the Magpies have made a significant financial offer.
The Sandro Tonali saga took many by surprise after developments on Wednesday regarding the AC Milan midfielder. He wasn’t exactly on the market to begin with, considering the 23-year-old has a contract with the club until 2027.
Hence, with the growing demand for top-quality midfielders in the Premier League, some clubs might have considered signing the 23-year-old. Chelsea had held an interest for some time but never publicly made their presence felt for Tonali.
Talks were reportedly held in the background with AC Milan, as has been the case with the two clubs over the last few years. They were eager to sign Rafael Leao for a significant period and may have even discussed a move for Tonali in the process.
Sandro Tonali and Newcastle have now reached agreement on personal terms for €8m salary net per season plus €2m add-ons. ⚪️⚫️ #NUFC
Contract will be valid until June 2029, waiting for the two clubs to complete their final agreement on €70m deal structure/add-ons. pic.twitter.com/4GriT0frZ7
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 22, 2023
The report claims Chelsea were keen to sign the midfielder in this window. The Blues were reportedly willing to include a choice of players as part of the deal, with Milan seemingly keeping tabs on a few, including Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The story suggests Chelsea considered including Loftus-Cheek, Cesare Casadei, and Christian Pulisic. In a late development on Wednesday, Newcastle United edged closer to signing Tonali from AC Milan.
The Magpies presented with an offer of €70 million and are willing to pay the 23-year-old a €10 million-a-year wage package. It includes an €8 million salary net per season plus €2 million in add-ons. It is a highly lucrative offer for the midfielder, who will likely join Newcastle.
It is a bitter blow for Chelsea, who might have tried to snap the Italian international on a fair deal. They also needed to sell their deadwood. And had Milan accepted their proposal, it would have resembled an innovative business.
Newcastle United emerged as the clear winner in the chase and are now preparing to set up Tonali’s medical tests. Once he passes those, they will sign contracts and unveil the Italian as their new midfielder.
