Newcastle United are on the brink of signing a high calibre midfielder.
A deal is in place for Sandro Tonali to join Newcastle from AC Milan, and official confirmation is not too far away. It has been reported that the Magpies are likely to announce his arrival on Monday.
The 23-year-old is a very exciting addition to Eddie Howe’s squad, and it appears to be the signing that ended our interest in James Maddison. He has now signed for Tottenham Hotspur, with Newcastle pulling out of the race.
Tonali is a very different player to Maddison. He is a more complete midfielder, which should make him a better fit for Howe’s side. There were concerns that Newcastle would lose their solidity if they signed Maddison and played him in the same side as Allan Saint-Maximin.
That should not happen with Tonali, but he is not going to be the only midfielder Newcastle sign this summer if Howe gets his wish.
Newcastle eye another midfield talent
According to i News, Newcastle are looking to sign what they describe as a ‘high calibre’ midfielder – on top of the deal to bring Tonali to Tyneside.
That is very exciting, and hints at where the majority of our remaining transfer budget will go. However, the big question is what type of ‘high calibre’ midfielder will Newcastle target?
When the Tonali rumours emerged, it sounded like he would be brought in to play as a ‘number six’, allowing Bruno Guimaraes to move higher up the pitch. However, that is not the plan. Instead, Howe intends to use Tonali as a ‘number eight’ either side of Bruno.
Therefore, Newcastle still have scope to bring in a proper defensive midfielder. Or they go for someone more attacking in the same mould as Maddison who is also versatile enough to play out wide.
The latter looks more likely, and would perhaps be more beneficial to the squad. Regardless, the club appear to be planning at least one more marquee signing this summer alongside Tonali.
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