If Alexander Isak is worth £150m then what price is Sandro Tonali?
Isak is justifiably coveted by every leading team in Europe after scoring 21 goals this season but, make no mistake about it, Tonali is the player making the Premier League’s form team tick right now.
The Italian has redefined what Newcastle United are all about – helping nudge them from a high energy counter-attack side into one that is capable of dictating games.
Barcelona were linked with him last month but, such is his potential, the precipitous price tag slapped on Isak should apply to Tonali too, not that Newcastle would entertain even world record offers for the Italy midfielder.
Newcastle’s secret scouting missions
There is a great story told by those at Newcastle who figured prominently in the year-long mission to extricate him from AC Milan in 2023.
When they carried out those early, discreet San Siro scouting missions, none of them could quite believe that their overtures were being entertained by Tonali’s people, such was the potential they spied when he played in red and black.
“It was the moment we started to realise our belief in Newcastle United was being shared by other, serious people,” one insider told The i Paper earlier this year.
It tells you a lot that their excitement at the signing – seen as a serious shot across the bows of European football’s elite – was not extinguished by his subsequent lengthy ban for gambling offences. Just you wait and see, they said about Tonali’s potential impact.
Why Newcastle teammates love Tonali
We have now officially arrived at the point where their foresight now looks like a slice of recruitment alchemy. Tonali isn’t just playing well as the team’s No 6, he has managed to change their entire Newcastle playing style – and that is giving their opponents some serious headaches.
Take Wednesday’s impressive, thumping defeat of Crystal Palace. Tonali began the game sweeping up in front of Newcastle’s back four, dropping deep to combat Palace’s pace.
But when Oliver Glasner’s side ceded possession, it was Tonali who was making the rapier runs that Palace couldn’t deal with. His brilliant, crisp cross-field assist for Harvey Barnes’ third goal was especially eye-catching.
Barnes is on fire
pic.twitter.com/hslKRkzCwR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 16, 2025
“He’s got so many great qualities,” Newcastle’s stand-in head coach Jason Tindall said after the game, before proceeding to reel off a shopping list of qualities for a Premier League No 6.
“He’s exceptional on the ball whether it’s one touch or two touch, he always makes very good decisions, he’s very, very quick and reads the game extremely well.” And that’s before you add the fact that he’s now an increasing goal threat, prowling the edge of the penalty areas from set pieces.
No wonder his teammates love him. “He’s just awesome, in and out of possession,” Jacob Murphy says.
“You see that he covers every blade of grass, he’s super composed on the ball and that frees up Bruno [Guimaraes] and Joelinton.
“The balance and harmony [of those three] is really sweet at the moment and they compliment each really well which means you get fed the ball more.”
Can Newcastle keep hold of Tonali?
There’s some daft talk in Italy that Tonali might be heading back to Serie A soon but there’s no chance of that. Something is building on Tyneside and their midfield trio look destined to be part of it.
Let’s not get it twisted: Champions League football would be transformative for Newcastle given both the revenue implications and the ability to restock a squad that has barely been added to for 18 months.
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Unai Emery’s side are a different animal to Palace or the insipid Manchester United that Newcastle rolled over last weekend, but there is real momentum behind the Magpies right now. Anyone trying to stop them will have to stop Tonali first.
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