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Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali won’t be joining Man Utd this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The journalist claimed last week that the Red Devils had cooled their interest in the Italian international, but speaking on his YouTube channel, he has now confirmed that Michael Carrick’s side have effectively ended their pursuit:
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“Manchester United are not going for Sandro Tonali at this stage. The intention of Manchester United is not to proceed.”
“Manchester United has been interested in Tonali for some time, and he’s been on Manchester United’s shortlist, but now Manchester United believe that the player is too expensive.”
Tonali has been labelled “better than” Declan Rice
Man Utd legend Paul Scholes is a massive fan of the Newcastle midfielder. Speaking in October last year about the 26-year-old, he said:
“I love Tonali. He’s been brilliant. Very good. I would probably choose Tonali (as one of the best midfielders in the league) at this point. Yes, you’re going to say [Declan] Rice, but I think he’s better than him.”
Rice cost Arsenal £105m when he moved to the Emirates from West Ham in 2003. Newcastle are said to be demanding a similar figure for Tonali, but it appears a transfer to Old Trafford is no longer a possibility.
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Man Utd have identified their top midfield target
In an ideal world, it is believed that Director of Football Jason Wilcox would have gone for Elliot Anderson, but if Tonali is deemed too expensive by the club, then the Nottingham Forest player is also beyond their means.
Manchester City had a bid worth up to £120m rejected for the England international last week, and there is no chance that United would be willing to spend that much on him.
It is now clear that West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes is the primary option. The Hammers are expected to demand £80m for the Portuguese international, which is considerably less than either Anderson or Tonali.
Wilcox has recruited Fernandes once before, having spent £15m to bring him to Southampton in August 2024.
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