Alan Shearer has put Sandro Tonali’s Newcastle United future back in play, saying the midfielder could end up at Manchester United if he wants out and United fail to land Elliot Anderson. The former Newcastle striker also said Tonali’s case would turn on two factors: whether he pushes to leave and whether the club can get the right price.
The comments arrive as Tonali is being watched for a possible summer move and his name keeps surfacing in transfer talk again. Shearer said Anderson would be the top midfield target for both Manchester United and Manchester City, which makes the Newcastle player’s route to Old Trafford depend on a deal elsewhere. Recent Italian reports have also insisted a major United bid for Tonali is coming, while Tonali’s preference remains a return to Serie A.
Shearer was careful not to slam the door on a stay. He said he would like Tonali to remain at Newcastle because of the quality he brings and the way he combines with Bruno, but he added that the club has to think like a seller if the player makes clear he wants out. In that case, Shearer said Newcastle should take the best possible fee and move on.
That is where the numbers start to matter. Shearer said Tonali is on a long-term contract and that Newcastle protected him when he was dealt with charges, yet he also said a sale might make sense for both sides if the club were offered something in the region of £90m. He pointed to Anthony Gordon at £70m and Anderson at over £100m as examples of how inflated the market has become, saying it would take an awful amount of money to prize Tonali out of St James’ Park.
There is still a clear gap between the noise and a real move. Tonali’s agent went public in the final days of the January transfer window with a push to steer him towards Arsenal, but that switch never happened, and the Arsenal talk has since gone quiet and been strongly denied. Newcastle’s midfield picture is still tied to broader summer planning, and United are expected to add at least two, and possibly three, midfielders as they chase reinforcements.
The next move belongs to Manchester United: if they go hard for Anderson and miss, Tonali may become the alternative that transfers from rumour to bid. If they do not, Newcastle can keep one of its most valuable midfielders; if they do, Shearer has already drawn the price line that will decide whether the club listens.
