Has looked nowhere near his best since raising doubt over his future in November. A double pivot with Bruno Guimaraes could work.placeholder image
Has looked nowhere near his best since raising doubt over his future in November. A double pivot with Bruno Guimaraes could work. | Getty Images
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali was linked with a potential move to Arsenal on deadline day.
Alan Shearer has admitted he expects Sandro Tonali to leave Newcastle United if they do not qualify for Europe this season.
Speculation in recent days has seen the Italian linked with a potential move to Arsenal. In November, Tonali did little to quell the noise surrounding his Newcastle future, claiming “you need to think year on year” when asked if he would commit.
Tonali’s agent, Beppe Riso, downplayed the Arsenal links on deadline day but revealed he plans to have a conversation with Newcastle next month. As it stands, the midfielder is contracted until 2030 - the same year Toon CEO David Hopkinson believes the club can achieve global supremacy.
What Sandro Tonali’s agent said
“I read it, but Newcastle won’t let Sandro leave in January and we never talked to Arsenal about this,” Riso said. “We will evaluate in March whether Newcastle are open to anything, but right now he is playing in the Champions League, it is not the right moment to talk about it.”
Alan Shearer sends Sandro Tonali warning
Newcastle legend Shearer has warned the club’s hierarchy that they risk losing Tonali if European football is not achieved. He said: "Sandro Tonali hasn't hit the heights he was at last season,” Shearer said. “But I guess what'll happen is, if Newcastle aren't going to qualify for Europe or be competitive in the Premier League, you'd expect other clubs will look at Newcastle and try to buy their best players.
"Although it was a surprise in the January window, I think it'll happen more in the summer if Newcastle don't achieve what they have in the past few years. Top players want to play Champions League football, and we know there's no real loyalty in football - I'm not saying Tonali will do anything like that, but we know if clubs don't get into European places, other clubs will try and pick players up.
"Newcastle have to start winning games and go far in the FA Cup and hopefully the Champions League to try and rescue what, at the minute, certainly Premier League-wise, has been a disappointing return. I know we got to a semi-final and all those years ago we'd craved for that but then the money that's been spent and put into the club and where the club wants to go… at the minute, it's been disappointing."
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