Sandro Tonali has become a hero to Newcastle United supporters over the course of three eventful years on Tyneside.
The 25-year-old midfielder joined from AC Milan in July 2023 and marked his Premier League debut with a goal in a 5-1 thrashing of Aston Villa. But in October 2023 he was banned from playing football for 10 months due to breaching Italian betting regulations.
He returned to action at the start of the 2024/25 season and starred in a formidable midfield three alongside Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes as Newcastle swept to glory in the Carabao Cup to win their first domestic trophy for 70 years.
They also qualified for the Champions League, although battling on multiple fronts has been trickier this time around.
Eddie Howe's side find themselves in mid-table in the Premier League and were demolished 7-2 by Barcelona in the second leg of a last-16 tie that was tight for 135 minutes until Hansi Flick's men ran amok.
Tonali certainly belongs on the biggest stage and he might look to return there without Newcastle. Manchester United have been frequently credited with an interest in the playmaker, so here's a breakdown of his transfer and contract situation at St James' Park.
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Does Sandro Tonali have a release clause?
As per the Mirror, Tonali does not have any release clause in his contract.
This means Newcastle would be in a strong bargaining position in the event of any club firming up interest in a player who has three years left on his deal at St James' Park.
How much would Sandro Tonali cost?
The i has reported that Newcastle would want a fee in the region of £100 million ($133 million) to let Tonali move.
Without a release clause, factors such as whether or not Newcastle qualify for Europe next season will come into any negotiations.
Tonali is unlikely to be the only Newcastle first-teamer to be the subject of transfer interest. If he and his agent agitate for a move in these circumstances, this could also affect what amount Newcastle are willing to accept.
What did Newcastle pay for Sandro Tonali?
Newcastle paid AC Milan an initial fee of £55m ($73.4m) when they signed him in July 2023.
That translated to €64m under the exchange rate at the time, making Tonali the most expensive Italian player in history.
His mark was surpassed by Mateo Retegui's €68.25m move from Atalanta to Al Qadsiah in July 2025.
Sandro Tonali contract, salary at Newcastle
Tonali's contract at Newcastle runs until June 2029, with the option of a further year.
This represents an extension of 12 months to the terms he initially penned on Tyneside after the player agreed to a renewal to effectively offset the playing time he missed during his betting ban.
As reported by BBC Sport and Sky Sports, Tonali agreed to the extension during his ban, but the deal was not confirmed until late 2025.
According to Capology, Tonali earns a basic wage of £150,00 ($260,000) per week before bonuses.