Newcastle United transfers: The club have issued a strong response following The Gazette’s Sandro Tonali exclusive.
Newcastle United will not be bullied into summer sales and will only sanction exits on their terms - that's the view of chief executive David Hopkinson.
Speaking at the announcement of the club's financial results, Hopkinson delivered a firm message to those talking up the exit of his club's players, including Sandro Tonali. While on international duty, the Italian midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United.
The Gazette broke the story that Tonali, and those around him, believe a gentleman's agreement allows the player to leave this summer, if the Magpies do not qualify for Europe. This is a statement vehemently denied by Newcastle United sources.
By nature, an agreement has to be reciprocated. While the player's side believes one is in place, Newcastle does not. While not identical, it's a situation that bears some hallmarks of the Alexander Isak saga last summer, where claim and counterclaim leaked about promises, or a lack thereof, made behind closed doors.
David Hopkinson on how an Alexander Isak situation would play out at NUFC now
When asked about players, including Tonali, asking to leave, like Isak last summer, Hopkinson's message was crystal clear - it will only be on NUFC's terms.
He said: "We haven’t got an overall strategy with regards players out, necessarily. We think through what players might or might not want to do this summer. But if an Isak-like scenario presents itself again, any player under contract is going to leave on our terms and we’re going to maximise the opportunity that might represent for the club."
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Sandro Tonali's agent talks up Newcastle United exit
Giuseppe Riso, Tonali's agent, only last month stated the plan for the player - who moved from AC Milan for around £52million in 2023 - was to turn him into a star in England. Whether that is at Newcastle or elsewhere, with Arsenal and Manchester City being admirers as well as Man United, remains to be seen.
The player is understood to be happy in England and the Premier League.
Speaking in the Italian press, Riso said: "That was the aim from the moment he went to England - to try and turn him into a star player. I think he’s the Italian player with one of the highest values in the world."
David Hopkinson suggests switch in transfer approach
After a hit-and-miss window last summer, transfer policy has been a hot topic on Tyneside. Hopkinson hinted that striking big, eye-catching deals - like many completed last summer - is not a top priority moving forward; the focus is extracting maximum value from every deal - in and out.
"Going forward, our strategy is to buy well and sell well," he said. "Buying well does not necessarily mean spending the most money.
"It means working in the market place for the players that generate the most value for this club rather than the fee paid for them.
"So there are a multitude of strategies we need to employ including developing our own, looking for opportunities in the market place and making sure we are maximising our opportunity within the available price we can produce."
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