Juventus legend Marco Tardelli wants them to sign Newcastle United’s midfield mainstay Sandro Tonali this summer.
Sandro Tonali left Italy and moved to England in the summer of 2023. Since joining Newcastle United, he has only gone from strength to strength and has established himself as one of the key figures in Eddie Howe’s team.
While he certainly seems to be enjoying life at the Tyneside club, he has often been linked with a return to Italy. Several clubs have shown interest, with Juventus emerging as the most recent suitors for the Italian international.
While speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus legend Marco Tardelli was asked about the club potentially signing Sandro Tonali and spending a significant fee in the process as they look to rebuild and return to the top.
Tardelli said via SportWitness: “I would give priority to Tonali. Great player, Italian: it would be a top-level signing.”
Tonali was a part of Brescia during his early days. He went up the ranks at some pace and was promoted to their first team in 2018. After two years with their first team, AC Milan secured his services on a temporary basis. While it was an initial loan deal, they made the move permanent in the summer of 2021.
He became a mainstay in their team in no time but they ended up cashing in on him when Newcastle came knocking in 2023. While Tonali was handed a ban because of illegal betting, he has remained a key figure in the team.
He returned to action back in August 2024 and has been ever-present in Eddie Howe’s team ever since. The 25-year-old midfielder has featured in 45 matches this season and has contributed towards nine goals.
He is a very important part of Howe’s plans moving forward and his contract at Newcastle runs until 2028. The club don’t have any intentions of parting ways with him at this stage.
While Juventus have been linked with him and Tardelli has urged the Italian giants to go big for him, prising him away from Newcastle at this stage won’t be easy. Having said that, it could prove to be an exceptional signing for the Old Lady, who have been struggling to get back to their best.
The 25-year-old can feature as a defensive midfielder as well as in an advanced role and he could give their manager multiple tactical options. However, Newcastle are unlikely to let him leave unless he pushes for a return and the offer on the table is too good to turn down.