Sandro Tonali is up for sale and will leave Newcastle United this summer, according to reports in Italy, with Manchester United said to be in pole position to sign the midfielder. The same reports say United are bracing for a massive offer from a Premier League club, and that any deal for Tonali would cost well beyond £70million.
Other outlets in Italy put the figure even higher, saying Newcastle could demand £87million, or €100million, for a player who has become one of the most valuable names on the market. Serie A clubs are also credited with interest, but Juventus are said to have already decided Newcastle's asking price is too high.
The move would fit a summer of change at Old Trafford, where United have secured Champions League qualification for next season and are expected to reshape the midfield after Casemiro's departure is confirmed and Manuel Ugarte could also move on. That makes Tonali a serious fit for a club looking to strengthen quickly, while Newcastle are being linked with the kind of sale that would reflect both their own summer priorities and the fact they will not be in the Champions League next season.
The Tonali reports land in the middle of a wider market in which United are also being linked with Christos Tzolis. Gazet van Antwerpen says United have shown interest in the Brugge forward over the past few weeks, while Sport Witness reports that two Premier League clubs have made enquiries. Tzolis, who has 19 goals and 24 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions, was the subject of a £28million offer from Crystal Palace a year ago.
Club Brugge now want any sale to set a Belgian transfer record, with the current mark standing at £34million. Milan agreed to pay Brugge that fee for Ardon Jashari last summer, which gives the club a clear benchmark as they decide how hard to push in any talks. For United, the next step is straightforward enough: decide whether Tonali is the midfield anchor they want, and whether Newcastle's price can be moved at all.
