Sandro Tonali finally looks at home in the Newcastle United starting XI.
The 24-year-old has seen his role at Newcastle United change in recent weeks. Up until this recent run, Eddie Howe has always used Sandro Tonali as a number eight.
However, the Italian midfielder is now operating as the Magpies’ deepest midfielder, replacing Bruno Guimaraes in the ‘six’ position.
This change has taken Tonali’s game to a new level in black and white, having initially struggled to really stand out. While he has always showed off his athleticism and smart passing, he had not been influential enough.
But that has changed, and Eddie Howe is delighted with Tonali’s recent form – even if he did drop him to the bench for the defeat to Brentford. That frustrated fans, even if it was just the Newcastle United manager rotating his team and preserving his players during a busy period of fixtures.
Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United and Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, applaud the fans following the Premier League match between Brentfor...
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Despite being on the bench for Newcastle’s loss at Brentford, Tonali is arguably more important than ever to Eddie Howe’s side.
That is why an article written about Tonali for Calciomercato in Italy is very interesting.
Calciomercato have compared how much Tonali plays for Newcastle United to how much he plays for Italy, having been involved in basically every minute possible at international level since the end of his 10-month suspension.
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The article asks ‘where he can go’ with regards to Tonali’s Newcastle future. They note that while AC Milan fans would love to re-sign him after his £55million departure in 2023, a permanent exit from Newcastle in January would be ‘difficult’.
Finally, Calciomercato note Tonali is ‘clearly a reserve’ for Newcastle United due to his lack of minutes.
Calciomercato are very wrong about Tonali despite slow start to the season
Newcastle United fans have been frustrated by Tonali’s lack of minutes at times since his return from suspension. There were even boos when Tonali was substituted earlier this season.
For fans it Italy, it must be very confusing. Newcastle’s second most expensive signing ever is one of Italy’s best and most important players, yet that is not his role at club level.
However, that could be changing. It is very premature for Calciomercato to simply describe Tonali as a reserve player for Newcastle United. Right now, he is more likely than ever to be a consistent starter under Eddie Howe.
The Magpies’ next game is against Leicester City on Saturday, and it would be a major surprise if Tonali was not back in the starting XI. His new role as the deepest midfielder has made a huge difference, and the hope is that it will result in Tonali becoming one of Newcastle’s most important players.
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