Dan Ashworth arrives in Italy as Newcastle look to finalise a deal for Milan’s Sandro Tonali
Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth arrives in Italy as Magpies look for a deal worth at least £50 million for AC Milan midfielder 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.
Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth is in Italy as the club look to sign Sandro Tonali
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