Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After moving to St James’ Park from AC Milan, the 25-year-old initially failed to serve his new club properly, as he was handed a lengthy suspension for breaching the betting regulations.
Upon returning to action, the Italian showcased his qualities last term, helping his side win the Carabao Cup by defeating Arsenal and Liverpool in the semi-final and final, respectively.
This season, he has continued to prove his worth in the Premier League, making nine goal contributions across all competitions. Having displayed impressive performances in club football, Tonali has established himself as an undisputed starter in the Italian national team’s starting line-up.
Now, Fichajes state that Tonali’s recent eye-catching displays have attracted the attention of the upper echelons of Premier League teams.
Man Utd and Arsenal are currently leading the race to secure his services, while Manchester City are interested in him as well. The Gunners hold a long-standing interest in Tonali as they attempted to buy him in January, but the Magpies refused to let him leave in mid-season.
However, with the player’s existing deal set to run until 2028, Newcastle aren’t in any rush to sell him and have slapped a whopping £87m price tag on his head if they are forced to cash-in this summer.
Battle
Tonali is a defensive midfielder by trait but is also efficient in the box-to-box role. He is extremely quick, strong, can play threading passes between the lines, is efficient in taking set-pieces, and is also efficient in defensive contributions.
With Casemiro set to leave as a free agent this summer, Man Utd are looking for a new defensive midfielder to replace the Brazilian.
On the other hand, with Christian Norgaard struggling to find regular game time this season, it appears Arsenal are looking for a new midfielder to support Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
Tonali is a Premier League-proven player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Man Utd or Arsenal should either club purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club or the Old Trafford club eventually manage to secure his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.
