Newcastle United have communicated their conditions to the cluster of top Premier League clubs circling Sandro Tonali, making clear they will only consider selling the Italian international early in the summer window and will demand a fee in the region of £100 million. The declaration is the latest escalation in what is shaping up to be one of the summer’s most contested transfer situations, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United all understood to be genuinely interested.
Tonali, 25, has established himself as one of the Premier League’s outstanding midfielders in the two seasons since joining from AC Milan, and his agent Giuseppe Riso has been candid about the player’s ambitions extending beyond Newcastle. Riso previously told reporters that the move to England had been designed from the outset to help Tonali “become a star player” before a step up to Champions League football every season. With Newcastle’s European qualification uncertain this campaign, the footballer’s desire to move is understood to be genuine.
Arsenal were the first club to be formally approached by the player’s representatives, with David Ornstein reporting in February that Tonali had been offered to sporting director Andrea Berta. Fabrizio Romano subsequently confirmed that Arsenal made informal contact and that Manchester City’s interest was serious, though City’s primary midfield target remains Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson. Manchester United have Tonali very high on their shortlist, according to Romano, with the Italian reportedly open to moving to Old Trafford.
Newcastle’s leverage lies in the contract situation. Tonali’s deal runs until 2029, removing any urgency for the club to sell and giving them complete control over timing and price. By insisting on early declarations of interest, the Magpies are attempting to prevent a drawn-out summer saga that could unsettle their pre-season preparation. The club also has the looming constraint of squad cost ratio regulations, which limit spending to 70 percent of revenue, meaning outgoings of this scale are genuinely useful rather than reluctant.
Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup removes the international tournament complication that might otherwise push the timeline into late summer. Tonali will be available for pre-season from the first week of June.
