Newcastle put clock on potential Sandro Tonali sale - Report

Speculation on the future of top Newcastle United players such as Sandro Tonali continues as the season winds down.

There's still no rock-solid indication of what will happen with the Italian midfielder this summer, but the media would have you believe that the 25-year-old is bound for the St James' Park exit.

Links to Arsenal and Manchester United keep appearing and disappearing, while Newcastle try to ignore the outside noise and get on with their season.

That was until CEO David Hopkinson piped up and spoke about 'selling well' to fund a summer squad rebuild, and suddenly Tonali was back on the table.

There's still a high likelihood that there will be at least an approach for Tonali in the summer, but Newcastle have already identified terms that need to be met for them to even entertain selling him.

Newcastle have laid down the law for prospective buyers

According to the iPaper, Newcastle want the futures of their stars sorted early in the window, so if any club wants one of our star players, they will have to make their move in the opening couple of weeks.

More importantly, their valuation must be met. Any sales will be on Newcastle's terms, so if Manchester United want Sandro Tonali, they're going to have to cough up £100 million in the early throes of the window to stand any chance.

The i's report mentions that Newcastle will not sanction a late sale, so if the first parameter is not met, they expect Tonali to stay at the club and continue as normal, and given that the player himself has made no noises about wanting to leave, this won't be an issue.

This was a good move by the club

We love that the club has laid this out nice and early. It gives potential buyers a framework to operate within, and it lets our players know that if they want out, they'd better speak up soon or be prepared to stay and graft.

This obviously won't do anything to stop the relentless rumours, but at least now we have an idea of what to expect. Now all we really need is to know when the cut-off will be for clubs to make their move.

It would be good for the fans' peace of mind, but also for Eddie Howe, as the sooner he knows what he's working with for next season, the better.