Eddie Howe wanted Newcastle United to sign a marquee midfielder ahead of next season, and they have done exactly that.
Sandro Tonali is the Magpies’ first and only senior signing this summer, arriving for £55million from AC Milan.
The deal was announced on Monday, and now Tonali is on Tyneside taking in the sights of St James’ Park – the place he will now call home.
There is a huge amount of buzz surrounding the 23-year-old, both from fans and people inside the club. It was recently claimed that Newcastle were surprised they were able to sign him, while it is believed that he can go on to become just as good as Declan Rice.
He is set to leave West Ham and sign for Arsenal, with the Gunners due to pay a British record fee of £105million. It is an incredible amount of money, and sums up why Newcastle had no chance despite showing an interest in the 24-year-old.
Newcastle got Tonali instead, and talk of another Premier League midfielder potentially changing clubs sums up what an absolute masterstroke Dan Ashworth has pulled off.
Chelsea must pay more than £100million for Moises Caicedo
The Magpies have been fond admirers of Moises Caicedo, but it looks like he could be on his way to Chelsea this summer – if the Blues dig deep into their pockets and bow down to Brighton’s demands.
According to the Telegraph, Brighton want more than £100million for the 21-year-old. That is because they think he is similar to Rice, while he has the added bonus of being three years younger.
It leaves Chelsea in a difficult situation, having already spent more than £100million on Enzo Fernandez back in January. Now they need to pay another nine-figure sum to land his ideal midfield partner.
And a deal is of added importance for Chelsea, as they have already lost Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer.
They need midfield reinforcements, but might have to pay an obscene amount of money to get the player they want.
Tonali a bargain at £55million
There is no denying that Caicedo is a major talent, but talk of a £100million deal is ridiculous. And all it does is highlight what a bargain Newcastle got when they signed Tonali for £55million.
Of course, £55million is far from pocket change. It makes Tonali Newcastle’s second most expensive signing ever.
But it means Newcastle have got a midfielder for almost half the price of Rice and potentially Caicedo. In turn, that means there is more funds available to invest in the rest of the squad.
This is yet another example of Sporting Director Dan Ashworth and the Toon recruitment team proving to be worth their weight in gold.
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