Newcastle United transfers: Eddie Howe has addressed the speculation surrounding Sandro Tonali’s future.
Eddie Howe insists Sandro Tonali is ‘fully committed’ at Newcastle United despite recent comments from his agent strongly hinting at a summer transfer.
Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan for £52million in 2023 and has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the club, bouncing back from a 10-month betting ban to establish himself as a key player in Howe’s side and one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
But the Italian’s impact at Newcastle hasn’t gone unnoticed, with several top clubs understood to be monitoring his situation. The 25-year-old is under contract at St James’ Park until 2029 with the option of a further year.
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Sandro Tonali’s agent comments
But Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, has been fuelling the speculation regarding his client following a deadline day link to Arsenal at the end of the winter transfer window.
After initially playing down the Arsenal links, Riso is now claiming it is ‘very likely’ that the Gunners will make a move in the summer for Tonali.
Speaking to Calcio&Finanza, Riso said: “Newcastle are already a Champions League club, but now it’s said that Tonali is being targeted by top clubs, those aiming to win the Premier League, such as Arsenal or Manchester City.
“Exactly, that was the aim from the moment he went to England - to try and turn him into a star player. I think he’s the Italian player with one of the highest values in the world.”
When asked if he expects a move to Manchester City or Arsenal in the summer, Riso laughed: “I don’t know! But it’s very likely.
“Everyone is waiting for the World Cup; then a thousand scenarios will unfold, but it all kicks off after the World Cup.”
Italy are hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2014 as they face Northern Ireland in their play-off semi-final on March 26. The winners of that game then face the winners of Wales v Bosnia & Herzegovina for a place at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Tonali missed out on the 2024 European Championships due to his 10-month betting ban, so will be hoping to represent his country for the first time in a major tournament this summer.
Eddie Howe responds to Sandro Tonali reports
Reacting to the recent narrative and comments surrounding Tonali’s future at Newcastle, Howe said ahead of the clash at Barcelona: “I think the person that for me matters the most in this is Sandro.
“So, I prefer to take my leave from him. All I've ever seen from Sandro is someone who's totally committed, very much part of the team, very selfless at times.
“He's here for the team, he's not necessarily here for himself. This is the attitude I've seen from him. And of course, he had a really difficult moment when he first joined, and he showed a real strength of character to get through that.
“So, I think whenever you're in this situation, you're really led by the player. As I say, forget the noise around Sandro. He's just fully committed.
“Of course, he's been ill for the last few days, but before then he was fully committed in trying to help us reproduce our best league form. And of course, he wants to do really well in this competition [the Champions League].”
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