Newcastle United could look to the summer transfer market to bolster their squad with quality ahead of their return to Champions League football and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.
What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Sandro Tonali?
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are considering a move for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.
As per the report, the Magpies are looking at potential alternatives to James Maddison as they seek to make the next step in their midfield rebuild and Tonali has been named as one of the players the club is considering making a move for this summer.
Would Sandro Tonali be a good fit for Newcastle?
There is no doubt that Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the progress his squad has made in his first full season in charge at St James' Park, but he will now need to focus on the next steps and build upon the huge strides forward the North East club have taken.
The Magpies reached their first major cup final since 1999 this season with a trip to Wembley earned in the League Cup but fell just short of lifting a trophy in the final against Manchester Unit.
Meanwhile, in the Premier League, they achieved a top-four finish for the first time in two decades, as they secured Champions League football for next season.
These huge achievements will help the club attract some top talent this summer to add to their already impressive squad on Tyneside and Tonali could be a great asset to inject depth into midfield.
Perhaps what is so striking about Tonali are his similarities to the effervescent Bruno Guimaraes.
The Brazilian midfielder has been a revelation since joining Newcastle in January 2022 and has been the linchpin for the unbelievable transformation seen at St James', however in more recent times has had to sacrifice his attacking influence to play in a much more disciplined deeper role.
Now Howe could unlock Guimaraes and provide him with a partner in Tonali who can offer many similarities to the Newcastle hero whilst also providing strong cover in the more defensive role in the centre of the pitch when the Brazilian bombs forward.
When comparing the pair's output over this season, the pair boast many parallels including goal contributions (9 v 9), blocks (30 v 29), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.35 v 3.63), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.43 v 0.40), dribblers tackled rate (61.4% v 58.5%) and tackles won (41 v 40).
Not only that, over 34 Serie A appearances, Tonali – who is "incredibly gifted" as per Roberto Mancini – created 12 big chances and won 58% of his duels combined, as well as averaging 1.8 key passes, 56.4 touches and 1.9 tackles per game, proving he is a massive all-round presence who could be a great asset to Howe alongside Guimaraes.
The Champions League semi-finalist – who has a reported price tag of €55m (£47m) – has drawn high praise from some of the most influential footballers to grace the pitch, with Andrea Pirlo outlining Tonali's qualities:
"He has everything to be a champion but he is more a midfielder for a two-man midfield. He could already play for a great team; he is the best in this league."
With that being said, the signing of Tonali would be a major coup for Newcastle this summer and if he could link up well with Guimaraes it could put the side in a great position to comfortably compete across all competitions next season.
