Real Madrid were present in the stands on Saturday night to witness the Italian in person and are prepared to compete with Arsenal for Newcastle star Sandro Tonali. Since joining the Magpies from AC Milan, Tonali has grown to be an important part of the team. In late January, he was linked to a transfer to the Gunners. That never happened, but the Spanish powerhouses might offer fierce competition if they choose to rekindle their interest.
Before they even contemplate allowing Tonali to depart, Newcastle is probably going to demand £100 million. The Italian midfielder caught the attention of real scouts who were at St James’ Park to see Manchester City win in order to gather information before their Champions League match, according to The Sun.
Last summer, the Magpies had to deal with a summer-long transfer drama that ultimately resulted in Alexander Isak’s departure. That has proven to be extremely disruptive, and the club wants to prevent any type of recurrence, so replacing him has been a problem.
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Tonali has a £150,000-per-week deal that essentially lasts until 2030, and Newcastle will strive to keep him at St James’ Park. However, the team are aware that if they don’t qualify for European football, difficult conversations may ensue.
And the former AC Milan star may find it difficult to resist the allure of joining the Bernabeu as a Galactico. Additionally, it doesn’t seem probable that they would start another summer-long drama as they did with striker Isak if a huge offer came up and Tonali expressed interest in pursuing it.
Tonali and Eddie Howe had a great connection, and he is still appreciative of the club’s support despite his ten-month betting suspension immediately after his £55 million move from Milan in 2023.
However, Tonali was candid about the unpredictability of a football player’s life when SunSport asked him directly about his long-term prospects back in November. “This is a difficult question because, you know, in football you have to think year after year,” he remarked. Alex [Isak] and I had a difficult summer, but this is football.
