- Newcastle United to demand huge fee for Sandro Tonali
- Asking price could be determined by Manchester City
- Arsenal may be £30 million short of valuation
Newcastle United will wait to find out the final valuation of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson before shaking hands with Arsenal over a deal for Sandro Tonali.
The Magpies have already banked £69 million from the sale of Anthony Gordon to FC Barcelona this summer but are expected to sanction at least one more big exit ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
At the moment, that looks to be either defender Lewis Hall or playmaker Tonali, with Premier League rivals credited with interest in the duo.
Newcastle United keeping keen eye on Elliot Anderson negotiations
Tonali was linked with a Deadline Day move to Arsenal at the end of the January window, with the Gunners reeling from news of an injury to Mikel Merino.
Ultimately, nothing came of that speculation but Mikel Arteta’s side are still said to be interested in the Italian.
The player’s agent has only fuelled speculation in recent months, practically placing Tonali in the shop window with comments confirming that his future would be reassessed in the summer.
Even if the former AC Milan man was to push for an exit from St James’ Park, Newcastle would be in the driving seat with Tonali’s current contract set to run until 2029. The Magpies also have the option of another year.
That’s not to say a sale is off the table. However, iNews reports that Newcastle United will base their asking price for Tonali on how much Nottingham Forest receive for Elliot Anderson.
The England international has been linked with both Manchester City and Manchester United, with the Sky Blues in pole position to snap up the 23-year-old.
Anderson’s move to the Etihad Stadium could now cost £130 million with Forest having rejected a second £120 million bid. Those fees are believed to have cooled Red Devils interest.
A £130 million sale would break the British transfer record set by Alexander Isak last summer when sold by Newcastle United. iNews believe that the Magpies will not want ‘a whole lot less’ than what their former academy graduate.
Sandro Tonali could cost Arsenal £130 million
That means that Arsenal will have to find extra funds than the current £100 million fee that was touted last week. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Gunners had made calls in ‘recent days’ to work on a potential move for Tonali.
The midfielder is not involved at the World Cup with Italy failing to qualify. That could help a transfer move be pushed through before the end of the tournament.
Romano said: “As of today, Tonali could be an option for Manchester City, but their focus is on Elliot Anderson, another player really appreciated also by Man United, who are still monitoring the situation, and Sandro Tonali could be an option for more clubs.
“Arsenal made some calls over the recent days for Tonali, so Arsenal are also in the mix. There could be more clubs joining the race for Tonali. Remember, there could be more clubs, so the situation around Sandro Tonali could become interesting.”
In other news, Newcastle United suffer hammer blow in fight to keep Lewis Hall.
