Dan Ashworth arrives in Italy as Newcastle look to finalise a deal for Milan’s Sandro Tonali

Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth is in Italy with the club in hopes of securing a deal worth at least £50 million for Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.

Boss Eddie Howe has identified the 23-year-old as his main target and while sources say a fee has yet to be agreed with the Serie A club, Ashworth’s arrival at Milan is seen as a sign of intent to make the move finalize. . Negotiations gained momentum on Thursday after talks with intermediaries earlier this week.

Tonali is seen as a player who can anchor Newcastle’s midfield, freeing Bruno Guimaraes to play further forward. A No. 6 was the club’s priority from the start of the window.

The Italy international, who has already scored 14 caps, is currently part of his country’s Under-21 squad for the European Championship in Georgia and Romania, where he will captain.

Tonali has been closely watched by Newcastle scouts in recent months, including in the Champions League semi-final against rivals Inter, which ended in defeat. He made 48 appearances for his youth club last season, scoring two goals.

Ashworth’s arrival in Italy is seen as a sign of intent to close the deal, which could be worth at least £50 million

Sources in Italy say a contract worth up to £150,000 a week – at the top end of Newcastle’s wage structure – has been discussed with representatives

Sources in Italy say a contract worth up to £150,000 a week – at the top end of Newcastle’s wage structure – has been discussed with representatives, although any figures linked to the deal have yet to be finalised.

The structure of the payments and the size of the add-ons will also affect Newcastle’s spending for the rest of the period.

Sources have stressed that a ‘limited budget’ of between £75-100m is what they are working towards, and a deal of up to £50m for James Maddison is one they are now likely to pursue.

The 23-year-old is high on Eddie Howe’s list of favorite midfield targets this summer