Newcastle United have already laughed off latest Sandro Tonali reports in the Italian media
Juventus have made Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali their top transfer target this summer, according to reports in Italy.
Tonali left his homeland almost two years ago when he joined Newcastle from boyhood club AC Milan for £55million. The first 12 months were the hardest of Tonali’s life but he is now a key component in Eddie Howe’s team.
The 24-year-old was hit with a 10-month betting ban shortly after moving to Tyneside, missing the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign and the opening three games of this season. Since moving into the ‘No.6 role’ in December, Tonali has established himself as one of the best in Europe in his position.
What reports in Italy are saying
Juventus have “already had indirect contacts for Tonali” and are lining up a player-plus-cash deal, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. It’s claimed the midfielder would cost “at least €60-70million, a mountain of money that Juventus hopes to mitigate by expanding the operation.”
“The idea is to include a player in the deal and the main suspect remains Douglas Luiz,” the reports adds, while centre-back Federico Gatti or striker Dusan Vlahovic could also be used as a makeweight.
Newcastle United have already laughed off Sandro Tonali exit talk
The Italian media have been hyping up the prospect of Tonali returning to Italy since the moment he left in July 2023 but the reality is the Magpies have little intention of selling.
That was made clear by Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales in March when discussing the future of Alexander Isak, while earlier this year Howe shut down talk of Tonali leaving when asked directly about the transfer links to AC Milan.
“That one is news to me,” Howe said. “It is not something I am contemplating. I am trying to build Sandro into the team after his ban. He has performed really well the last few games. I have been really pleased with how he is finding his feet in the team.
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“He is building new relationships. It is not just the player coming into the team it is also the players around Sandro and how those relationships start to form. I have been pleased how they have.”
Howe has also said previously: “I hope [we can keep him], I’ve got no plans of losing Sandro. I laugh because that [question] seems so out of the blue for me. Sandro is a vital part of what we’re doing and our investment in him was long-term.”
Meanwhile, Tonali’s agent Giuseppe Riso has previously denied reports in Italy suggesting the midfielder wants to return to Serie A.
Speaking in December, Riso said: “Sandro is not considering a return to Serie A. He’s happy at Newcastle, happy to play in the best league in the world and is an idol for Newcastle fans who’ve always supported him.”
