Chelsea appear to have a real shot at signing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United this summer.
At the start of the year, Chelsea were being linked with Tonali, though Juventus were always seen as a more likely destination than the Blues.
However, Chelsea are now seemingly in a better position to sign Tonali as speculation about the midfielder heats up.
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Sandro Tonali has sounded out Chelsea
Newcastle will not want to lose Tonali, who is one of their star players. However, there is a lot of interest in him and his contract expires in 2028.
According to TEAMtalk, Tonali has sounded out Chelsea, meaning a move to Stamford Bridge could be possible.
The same outlet has claimed that Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United have also been sounded out by the player, so Chelsea could face some serious competition for his signature.
Rival interest from Arsenal, City and United is not the only thing that could prevent the Club World Cup winners from signing Tonali, though.
TEAMtalk’s report states that Newcastle could demand £100m for the 25-year-old, which could deter Chelsea and other suitors.
Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United battles for possession with with Moises Caicedo of Chelsea
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Of course, Chelsea have not been afraid to spend that kind of money on a midfielder in the past. They paid £107m to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in 2023 before spending £115m on Moises Caicedo.
Tonali would be a great addition to Liam Rosenior’s squad; he is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. But because of his price tag and interest from the likes of Arsenal and City, Chelsea will probably struggle to convince the Italian to move to west London.
Chelsea may not even be in the Champions League next season, while they could find themselves paying £100m for someone who could, in effect, end up becoming their third-choice midfielder because of Fernandez and Caicedo.
If they can get him, great, but £100m is too much, especially if he is not coming in to replace Fernandez. Fernandez is being linked to Real Madrid, and if the Argentine joins them, then it is a different story.
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