Sandro Tonali has a concrete possibility of leaving Newcastle United in the summer, but a return to AC Milan seems unlikely.
As Calciomercato.com write, the news is that Tonali has an agreement with Newcastle to leave in the summer, subject to certain conditions being met. The Shields Gazette reports that the midfielder’s entourage believes they have a ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ with the club.
More specifically, Newcastle do not qualify for any of the European competitions for next season, then the Magpies will listen to offers and be open to the sale of the Italy international, who up to this point has been unsellable.
It is a scenario that currently has a high chance of coming true. Eddie Howe’s team are currently 12th in the Premier League with 42 points. The Champions League places are far away, with fourth-placed Aston Villa having 54 points and fifth-placed Liverpool having 49 points.
The Europa League race is no less challenging (Chelsea are sixth with 48 points), with the target being Brentford and Everton, tied on 46 points in seventh and eighth. That could get Conference League, but that might not be enough to convince Tonali to stay.
Where could he go?
The news of a possible transfer agreement in the event of Newcastle failing to qualify for European competition has understandably put a lot of clubs on alert.
In Italy, Juventus have been on his trail for some time, although held back by the financial conditions of the deal. These parameters have so far made even a return to Milan – hoped for by an entire fanbase (and the player himself, in time) – ‘extremely complicated’ at present.
More likely is a move within England. Manchester United need to reshape their midfield, especially with Casemiro’s departure at the end of the season, and they like Tonali. There’s also Arsenal, who could bolster a midfield that already boasts Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
Tonali’s attachment to Milan remains obvious, and he even claimed that his goal for Italy against Northern Ireland in their World Cup play-off semi-final was the most important of his career alongside the iconic winner for the Rossoneri against Lazio.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news.Click here for a free trial!