Arsenal have reportedly held talks over a deal to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, as per Caught Offside.
Since returning from a lengthy suspension, the 26-year-old has showcased his qualities for club and country in recent years, helping the Magpies win the Carabao Cup last term.
This season, the Italian has displayed his best, even though the Tyneside club have been inconsistent, making nine goal contributions across all competitions.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Tonali is open to leaving St James’ Park this summer, and his preference is to return to Italy. However, the Serie A clubs don’t have the financial muscle to seal the deal by matching Newcastle’s huge demand.
Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea have registered their interest in him, while Real Madrid could make a move following Jose Mourinho’s arrival as the manager.
The Gunners have already held initial exploratory talks with the player’s representatives over a potential swoop this summer. Moreover, Man City have made contact with the player’s entourage over this deal.
Tonali’s existing deal is set to run until 2029, and Newcastle have an option to extend the deal for one more year. So, the Magpies aren’t in any rush to sell him and have no intention of parting ways with him this summer.
Tonali to Arsenal
Tonali, valued at around £69m by Transfermarkt, is a deep-lying playmaker by trait but is also efficient in the box-to-box role. He is a Premier League-proven player and is currently at the prime stage of his career.
Arsenal currently have Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, and Christian Norgaard as options to deploy in the deeper midfield positions. Moreover, Myles Lewis-Skelly can provide cover in this position if needed.
However, Merino has been struggling with fitness problems, while Norgaard has failed to break into Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up since joining from Brentford last summer.
On the other hand, although Zubimendi enjoyed a bright start this season, he has struggled to continue the momentum. So, Arsenal could do with signing a new midfielder.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually manage to secure Tonali’s service by defeating other clubs in this race.