Newcastle insiders fear Sandro Tonali exit despite £100m demands - Report

Sandro Tonali's future at Newcastle United is far from certain heading into a big summer on Tyneside.

The Italian's agent has been talking up a potential move since February, and those noises may only grow now the club failed to secure any form of European football for 2026/27.

This last season was far from a blockbuster for Tonali, whereas the season before that he was often being touted as the best midfielder in the Premier League.

Newcastle genuinely has a star on their hands, albeit an inconsistent one. But other clubs can see beyond those poorer games, and there's no doubt that the 26-year-old is a hot property.

Sandro Tonali has a £100m price tag

Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been credited with an interest in Tonali, as has Juventus.

Additionally, Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson spoke about selling players when asked about Tonali's future, indicating that the club would be more than willing to do a deal as long as their terms were met.

This goes in line with the new transfer strategy, which has come about after harsh lessons were learned with Alexander Isak last summer.

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards reports that, while Newcastle's £100 million price tag may put buyers off this year, there are those inside the club who expect Tonali's departure, rather than fear it.

This suggests a move really could be on the cards, providing potential buyers stump up significant cash. If they do, it may explain why Newcastle have discussed Monaco's Lamine Camara in recruitment meeting, as Edwards also reports.

Patience is key

I might just be inhaling the copium, but I'm still fearing his departure rather than expecting it, as the Blog's resident Tonali fan.

As long as we get a good price for him and invest that money into decent replacements - lesser-known players who may not be stars now, but have the potential to be in a couple of years - then I'll be happy.

I'm personally willing to wait for success. Everything happened too quickly post-takeover. We got into the Champions League when we weren't ready. Then we failed to prepare again the next time we got into the competition.

We need to be in a position with a strong squad the next time we get into Europe, and this new transfer approach will get us there.