Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea set to battle for £100m rated Newcastle ace

Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea are all interested in Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali. Arsenal were linked with a shock deadline day move for the player, a rumour which was quickly rebuked by sources close to Newcastle.

Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, also moved to dismiss these claims. “We never had any conversation with Arsenal” Riso said according to the Sun. “Newcastle were never going to let Tonali leave in January. There’s absolutely nothing into it. We didn’t even talk about it.”

Arsenal’s long term admiration for the player however remains well documented, with manager Mikel Arteta reportedly a big fan. Arteta would love to pair Tonali with Declan Rice and could be preparing a swoop for the 25-year-old in the summer.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is also a big fan of Tonali as well as his teammate Tino Livramento. Rumours of a double swoop for the pair over the summer have made the rounds. Chelsea are reportedly keen on Tonali as well amid reports of Real Madrid’s interest in their star midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

At the moment Tonali and his family are believed to be happy in the North East. There is no suggestion that the player will agitate for a move away like former teammate Alexander Isak.

The Italy international is understood to enjoy a close relationship with his manager Eddie Howe, while also remaining grateful to the Newcastle hierarchy for the club’s backing during his ten-month betting ban shortly after his arrival from AC Milan.

While serving his ban, Tonali signed a contract extension with the club that ties him down until 2029 with an additional option for 12 months. These factors make any deal for the player extremely difficult and put Newcastle in a strong bargaining position.

A figure of at least £100m is being mooted for negotiations. Newcastle’s position in the Premier League table could work against them however. The Magpies are currently 11th in the table after last week’s 4-1 defeat to Liverpool.

Should they fail to qualify for European football next season, a number of high profile stars could seek exits from St. James’ Park. The club would likely have to sanction sales to recoup the loss of revenue.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.

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