Arsenal remain interested in Sandro Tonali, and Manchester City are now weighing the Newcastle United midfielder as a top fallback if they cannot land Elliot Anderson. City made their first move for Anderson this week, but Nottingham Forest turned down the opening offer and the chase has widened into a three-way battle that also pulls Manchester United into view.
The reason the Tonali name is back in circulation is simple: City need midfield options and are treating the 23-year-old as a realistic summer route if Anderson stays out of reach. Anderson is said to favour a move to City, yet Forest want a fee that could rise beyond the £105m Arsenal paid for Declan Rice three years ago, which has left the talks open and the price bracket hardening by the day.
Tonali was offered to Arsenal late in the January transfer window, but no talks took place with Newcastle at the time. That detail matters now because Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal could make a move this summer, while Newcastle value the Italy international at close to £100million. In practical terms, that puts him in the same bracket as the biggest midfield deals in England and keeps Arsenal in the frame even as City lead the immediate pursuit of Anderson.
The overlap is what makes this market feel crowded. City are moving because Bernardo Silva may leave and Rodri is thought to be a target for Real Madrid, while United need a rebuild after Casemiro’s exit and with Manuel Ugarte also tipped to go. United already want at least two new midfield options, and Arsenal want another player to compete with Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard after a 2025-26 campaign fought on four fronts.
That is why Tonali has become more than a speculative name. If City fail to agree a fee for Anderson, they are expected to explore Tonali this summer, and Arsenal’s lingering interest means Newcastle may have to face a market with three heavyweight buyers rather than one. The next move belongs to City, who will keep talking to Forest over Anderson first; if that door stays shut, Tonali is the one most likely to open.
Rodri has already signalled that bigger decisions around his future will wait, saying, “With a World Cup ahead, my responsibility is to stay focused” and “Anything related to my future will wait until after the World Cup.” For now, though, the immediate question is not Rodri’s endgame but whether Newcastle are prepared to negotiate Tonali at a price close to £100million, because that answer will shape how quickly this summer’s midfield race turns from interest into bids.
