Manchester United’s interest in Sandro Tonali is real, but the move is already being checked by the same problem that has slowed so many ambitious midfield plans: the price. Michael Carrick’s preferred midfield signing is Tonali, yet United believe the Newcastle player is really expensive and the numbers may end the chase before it properly begins.
Fabrizio Romano said United have been on a mission in recent days in Italy to discuss several topics, and named Tonali as one of the players they admire. He added that Tonali is obviously playing at Newcastle and that the price remains the problem for United. Romano also said the club’s appreciation is clear, but he framed the deal as difficult because of cost.
The latest remarks fit with a wider picture that has been building for weeks. The Athletic previously noted that Tonali’s salary demands would be sky high, while Gianluca Di Marzio claimed United were confident of putting together a package worth €100m, or £86m. Newcastle’s response, according to the Chronicle, would be far tougher, with the club said to want no less than €115m, or £100m, for the Italy international.
That gap matters because United are not operating in a vacuum. The club’s top choice in midfield is understood to be Elliot Anderson, not Tonali, and the disagreement over Tonali’s valuation makes any pursuit even more uncertain. Carrick may favour the Newcastle midfielder, but the recruitment picture is being shaped by the cost as much as by the player’s quality.
United’s work in Italy has also thrown up a more realistic route elsewhere. Romano said there is “rosier news regarding Atalanta’s Ederson,” and reported that United have entered advanced discussions with the Serie A club. He said the club made a verbal offer worth €45m and that Ederson has now given United “total priority.” The Brazil midfielder, who has three caps, is also wanted by another unnamed club, but the signs around him are more encouraging than they are for Tonali.
What happens next now looks clear enough: United may keep Tonali on the radar, but unless the asking price changes sharply, Ederson appears the more advanced target. For a club trying to strengthen the centre of the pitch without being dragged into another inflated deal, that distinction could decide the summer.
