Sandro Tonali’s honest assessment of his long-term future at Newcastle United has gone down surprisingly well amongst supporters on social media.
Tonali is almost certainly Newcastle United’s prized asset now following the summer departure of star striker Alexander Isak.
The Italian, at his best, could surely play for almost any team around. The former AC Milan star has established himself as a leading Premier League midfielder and continues to improve under Eddie Howe.
While Tonali is under contract at Newcastle United until the summer of 2029, that doesn’t mean the club will always be able to keep a hold of him.
Indeed, the 25-year-old has been brutally honest about his future at the club.
- READ MORE: UEFA make word-perfect statement on Sandro Tonali after Newcastle United’s Champions League win
Sandro Tonali hints he could leave Newcastle United
Tonali was speaking after Newcastle United beat Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Though he did not say he wanted to leave, he admitted it would be foolish to suggest he wants to stay for many years to come at this stage.
Asked about his future at the club, he said: “This is a tough question because you know the football is you can think you need to think year for year, because I think I don’t want to say I want to stay here 10 years and in two years three years four years five years I will go.
“So I want I want to think just for me, year for year. Because this is football and every summer, you know the last summer was tough for us for Alex [Isak], but this is football. If you have an option for your life for for another team, you need to think about everything in football and I don’t I don’t want to say ‘yes I want to stay here 10 years’ but now I’m happy here.”
Only months after Isak’s painful exit, that is hardly a good thing for supporters to hear. Still, his comments provoked a rather interesting reaction online.
Newcastle United fans understand Sandro Tonali’s point of view
Clearly, no one at the club will want to lose a player of Tonali’s quality. He’s a fantastic player and one who looks incredibly difficult to replace, particularly for a team who have struggled to beat big name rivals to transfer targets in recent months.
Still, many supporters on social media platform X understood where Tonali is coming from.
Another supporter wrote: “He is one of the best midfielders in the world. We’re 13th in the Premier League. These quotes shouldn’t surprise anyone.”
“If we don’t get Champions League next season, I’d bear no ill will if he were to leave, he’s too good not to be playing at the top level every season,” said another supporter.
One comment read: “Think it would have been a bit odd and dishonest if he’d answered that any other way. Newcastle can’t expect to keep world-class players indefinitely if they’re not competing at the highest level.”
This is a Newcastle side who currently lack any consistency and while they are playing Champions League football right now, there’s no guarantee they will get there again next season.
A player as good as Tonali cannot be expected to stick around forever. Neither could Isak, though the way in which he went about his exit plan left a bitter taste in the mouth.
If Tonali doesn’t do that – and there’s no suggestion that will happen – he would surely have to leave with the blessing of supporters.
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