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Sandro Tonali ‘will return to Italy’ once his time at Newcastle United is over - that’s according to one of his representatives from GR Sports.
Tonali has had an interesting first two seasons at Newcastle following his £52million move from AC Milan in the summer of 2023. The Italian midfielder scored on his Premier League debut against Aston Villa and returned to face Milan in the Champions League before being banned from playing for 10 months due to betting offences.
Since returning from his ban, Tonali has established himself as a key player in Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side as they look to return to the Champions League and end a 70-year domestic trophy drought. Tonali played a key role in helping Newcastle reach the Carabao Cup final with his brace in the quarter-final against Brentford helping ensure progress.
But Tonali’s good form at Newcastle has been met with speculation from Italy over a potential return to his home country.
Initially, a return was played down by Tonali’s agent, Beppe Riso, who stated: “Sandro is one of the best midfielders in the world. He now has a value that Italian clubs will find difficult to afford. I envision a career for him away from Serie A.”
But looking at things from a longer-term perspective, Riso’s GR Sports senior advisor Marianna Mecacci has gone strong over the prospect of Tonali returning to Italy after ‘taking advantage’ of a move to the Premier League with Newcastle.
"He will return to Italy," she told Sportitalia. "When? It's hard to say. He is Italian footballing heritage, it's beautiful to see a man grow through difficulties. I started following him at Brescia.
"The operation that brought him to England was extraordinary. I realise it caused discontent. Tonali, son of Milan, faith that is there and will remain forever, is sold for a record sum. It was also a choice to try a new experience. As long as the opportunity of the Premier League exists, he will take advantage of it, but it is impossible to think that he will not return to Italian football."
The comments are a bit of U-turn on what Riso said previously but it seems only natural that an Italian player would want to return to his home country at some stage in his career, especially given the fact he’s still only 24.
Eddie Howe laughs at Sandro Tonali speculation
Newcastle head coach Howe was recently asked about the reports linking Tonali with a return to Italy.
The Magpies boss laughed at the suggestion before stating: “I hope [we can keep him], I've got no plans of losing Sandro.
“I laugh because that [question] seems so out of the blue for me. Sandro is a vital part of what we're doing and our investment in his was long-term.
“I've been really pleased with him personally and we've built up a strong relationship. He's improving in all aspects of his play naturally through the games that he's playing.
“The ban was difficult because he's on training and he's not learning from the games. The games are the biggest teacher and now he's in a position where he's getting both and we're seeing an improvement in all aspects.”
Tonali is understood to be contracted at Newcastle until June 2028.
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