Newcastle want to flesh out the midfield after tying Tonali down for four more years
Newcastle are confident they can build their midfield around Sandro Tonali for years to come after it emerged that he signed a secret contract renewal during his 10-month betting ban.
New director of football Ross Wilson is starting an audit of Newcastle contracts and retaining Tonali had been viewed as a priority.
But any talks over rewarding his form with a pay rise will take place against the backdrop of Newcastle being protected by a renewal he agreed in secret over a year ago.
After a bruising summer in which Alexander Isak’s conduct in forcing a move to Liverpool put the club on the back foot, Newcastle believe they are in a much stronger position to build. Confirmation of a new-look club hierarchy has revitalised the club and the Tonali news should ease worries about his future.
Tonali agreed to extend his contract until 2029 with an option of a further 12 months. That means he is effectively tied down until 2030, relieving some of the urgency to open talks with Tonali and his representatives.
The hush-hush negotiations took place as Newcastle supported Tonali through his gambling ban. The former Milan man took a sizeable pay cut but Newcastle’s support for the player was absolute and he has publicly thanked the club for how they reacted to the news.
Tonali was backed by the club during his betting ban (Photo: AFP/Getty)
Both parties wanted to show their faith in the other and it has worked out well for Newcastle, given Tonali is now viewed as one of the Premier League’s best number sixes. Just last week Paul Scholes declared him “better than Declan Rice” on account of his form for the last year.
Learning lessons from the Isak saga, Newcastle are still looking at rewarding their top performers to keep them happy at the club – and that means that [Wilson is likely to speak to Tonali’s representatives](https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle-director-football-transfer-plans-3986851?ico=in-line_link) soon. But they are nowhere near as vulnerable to suitors as they would have been if he was entering the final two years of his deal.
A big part of Newcastle’s success last season was their midfield trio of Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton. The latter two agreed lucrative contract extensions to their original deals during the time of former co-owner Amanda Staveley and there is financial headroom to do similar with the Italy international.
Newcastle are understood to be looking at midfield options and have investigated the possibility of bringing Elliot Anderson back to St James’ Park.
While committed to Nottingham Forest, such a move interests a player who is a boyhood Newcastle fan and enjoyed working with Eddie Howe.
But, with no buy-back clause inserted in the 2024 deal to sell him, it would likely cost significantly more than the £55m the Magpies paid Forest for Anthony Elanga last summer.
The re-emergence of Lewis Miley, who was excellent in the 3-0 defeat of Benfica on Tuesday, will also help. He has been keen for more first team opportunities and alongside Jacob Ramsey there are good options in that position.