A Manchester United star gave transfer advice to Sandro Tonali, who could be on his way to Old Trafford
Sandro Tonali
Sandro Tonali is reportedly on Manchester United's radar(Image: OLI SCARFF, AFP via Getty Images)
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Sandro Tonali once received transfer counsel from a Manchester United ace before a high-profile move. Newcastle's Italian midfielder is being linked with a switch to Old Trafford this summer, as United look to bolster their midfield options, particularly with Casemiro poised to depart.
A return to Italy with Juventus has also been suggested, while Manchester City are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation, according to the Telegraph. Tonali's representative recently added fuel to the fire by revealing his client is contemplating his future, sparking concern among Newcastle supporters that one of Eddie Howe's key players might leave.
Tonali has faced significant decisions in his career before, including during his breakout period at Brescia. Numerous top Italian clubs were vying for his signature, including Juventus, where Man United's Matthijs de Ligt was playing at the time.
As he deliberated over his future, the pair happened to meet in a restaurant, where Tonali discussed his impending decision. He told Cronache in March last year: "We were in Sardinia, Cistana, Torregrossa, and I, the Brescia group, basically. We met De Ligt at a restaurant.
"It was the year we played against each other in Serie A, the year of Covid. He spoke highly of Juventus. As a player, he advised me to consider it.
"Those were the days when I was negotiating with AC Milan. We stopped to talk after a game. Sometimes, for a handful of seconds, you find yourself chatting with an opponent even if you don't know them, more out of respect.
"Some of them you memorise and when you see them, you think, 'I've seen this before.' It was the summer I ended up in the newspapers because it was difficult for me to return to Serie B with Brescia.
Matthijs de Ligt prior to the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Strawberry Arena.
Mattijs de Ligt once dished out transfer advice to Tonali(Image: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)
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"AC Milan, Inter and Juventus were up for grabs all summer. So everyone was telling me, 'Come to Inter, come to AC Milan, come to Juventus.'"
Tonali, who would ultimately sign for AC Milan rather than Juve, was recently linked with a deadline day transfer to Arsenal, though Newcastle were quick to confirm no discussions had taken place and Howe subsequently indicated his desire to retain his £55million signing.
Sandro Tonali
Tonali is wanted by a number of clubs(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Image)
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Magpies chief executive David Hopkinson has recognised the attention surrounding Tonali, saying recently: "He's not the only player we had that other clubs would covet.
"So I think if we get a situation where people aren't trying to muck about and sow some chaos into the marketplace in order to dislodge our players, then we've got a real problem.
"Sandro has been a wonderful player. I believe he's happy here and we're certainly happy with him."
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