Transfer News
Absolutely embarrassing media claims from the Italian media regarding Sandro Tonali.
Gazzetta dello Sport running a story claiming the midfielder could return to Serie A in January 2025.
It is simply laughable.
There is absolutely no credible reason given as to why they are claiming this, no stated sources or whatever.
A story seemingly only written/based on the number of Premier League matches Sandro Tonali has and hasn’t played sinced his near year-long suspension ended.
Sandro Tonali has actually played in all 13 Premier League matches he has been available for, starting six and off the bench in the other seven. Plus he started against both Forest and Chelsea in the League Cup.
Eddie Howe has an established history of looking after players when they arrive at Newcastle United, Bruno Guimaraes was looked after and had to wait over six weeks for his first Newcastle start, some ten weeks before he started a match at St James’ Park.
Sandro Tonali effectively like a new player for NUFC and especially having had no competitive football for almost a year.
Ironically, the story in [Gazzetta dello Sport](https://www.gazzetta.it/Calciomercato/11-12-2024/tonali-milan-ritorno-possibile-e-rottura-a-newcastle-il-nodo-prestito-e-le-altre-piste.shtml?refresh_ce) makes a big thing of the comparison of Sandro Tonali starting all six games for Italy since his ban ended. Ironic because I bet my bottom dollar that part of Eddie Howe’s reasoning for not giving Sandro Tonali more minutes/starts has been due to the midfielder used so much by Italy in a short space of time since his playing return.
AC Milan and indeed the whole of Italian football, especially the media, were left devastated and their pride hurt, when one of the very best young Italy players left Serie A for Newcastle United.
All of the other Italian media have of course seized on these claims greedily, desperate to want to believe Sandro Tonali wants to return ‘home’ from Newcastle.
The journalist in question claims Sandro Tonali is ‘increasingly marginal’ at Newcastle United.
It is laughable when only a week ago, Sandro Tonali put in his best performance, as did NUFC, of the season against Liverpool. Bruno allowed to play further forward due to Tonali’s deeper role and getting two assists and playing a key role in the other goal.
Sandro Tonali would have started at Brentford as well, if not for Eddie Howe making clear that both he and Anthony Gordon were left out due to their physical condition after giving so much in the Liverpool match.
What makes the Italian media claims especially desperate is that they admit no Italian club could afford to buy Sandro Tonali. So they claim it could/would be a loan in January to a Serie A club, yet also admit that no Italian club could match the wages Newcastle are paying Tonali.
Eddie Howe has such a small squad, especially when it comes to players of real quality, the idea of he and Newcastle United allowing Sandro Tonali to leave in January (not that there is a single bit of evidence suggesting the payer even wants that to happen) is beyond belief.