Newcastle United officially signed Sandro Tonali last week, and now Eddie Howe has spoke in depth about his latest acqusition.
Howe expressed his delight at adding the midfielder to his squad following confirmation of the deal, but now the Newcastle boss has gone into a bit more depth about what the 23-year-old will bring.
Tonali is now the Magpies’ second most expensive player ever, costing £55million from AC Milan. Toon fans are very excited to see the Italian in action, and it sounds like he is keen to get started.
The new signing received some wonderful words from Kieran Trippier during his first visit to Tyneside, while he has expressed how excited he is to play alongside Bruno Guimaraes at St James’ Park.
First on Tonali’s agenda is starting pre-season training, with the Newcastle players reporting for duty on Sunday. The likes of Allan Saint-Maximin have returned – although those who represented their country, like Tonali, are not due back just yet.
Eddie Howe excited to work with ‘high level’ Sandro Tonali
Howe has spoke to NUFC TV following the first day of pre-season training, and was asked why he was so keen for the club to sign Tonali.
“I think he’s a high level player,” he said.
“He’s got some great experiences already for such a young player. He’s won the Italian league, this season got to the Champions League semi final, full Italian international. He brings a wealth of pedigree.
“I think he’s also a player of huge potential because I think his best years are ahead of him as well.
“I think he’s got versatility in his game so I think he can play various roles for us. We’ll wait and see, as we work with him more, where he fits in to what we do.
“But I think we’re bringing a top player into the group and I’m delighted to add that competition a depth that we’re going to need next season.”
Newcastle sign a star
Just like the deals for Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, Newcastle have signed a star of the present and the future in Tonali.
He joins an incredibly strong spine at St James’ Park, and Howe is confident that his best years are ahead of him. That is an exciting prospect, as Tonali is already a very accomplished midfielder at the age of 23.
He fits Newcastle’s profile perfectly, and is someone who can grow alongside the club as we look to build on last season’s top four finish.
It is going to be very tough to replicate last season’s performance, which is why it is very important to improve the squad. With Tonali, we have done exactly that.
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