Newcastle United recently announced the signing of Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim, in what was a record deal for the German club. Now that the move is over the line, the Magpies will be looking to strengthen in other positions. One of them is midfield.
Sandro Tonali has left for Tottenham Hotspur in a record £100 million transfer. But curiously, that move has not been officially announced yet.
That had led some to speculate if there had been any stumbling blocks in the final steps and whether there was any chance that the transfer could collapse. Well, the situation has now been cleared up for good.
According to Fabrizio Romano, all documents are signed between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United for Tonali. A club statement is the next step, as the Italian will become Spurs’ record signing.
Who will replace Tonali for Newcastle United?
It looks like Newcastle United have their eyes on a variety of midfielders. Tonali is very much a specialist and finding a like-for-like replacement for him won’t be easy.
So, the Magpies might be looking to bring in a few midfielders in hopes of making up for the lost quality in the middle of the park, rather than bring in the exact same profile.
Johan Manzambi of SC Freiburg has been heavily linked in recent days. He looks like someone who would be an exciting addition after a solid World Cup campaign so far.
Andrey Santos of Chelsea has emerged as a potential target recently as well. It is thought that the Blues would be open to an exit if an offer in the region of £50 million is made for him.
Another name that has been brought up is Lesley Ugochukwu, currently at Burnley and formerly of Chelsea. After Burnley’s relegation, signing him might not be as difficult as some of those other deals.
Links with the ‘next Toni Kroos’
The name that I feel might be the best fit for Newcastle United’s needs at the moment is Angelo Stiller. The German international is currently at Stuttgart.
Stiller has been dubbed the ‘next Toni Kroos’, and linked with clubs like Real Madrid and Chelsea. That goes to show the quality he possesses.
Stiller has the ability to control the tempo of an entire game, something that the Magpies could do with, now that Tonali has departed the club.
Also, there is believed to be a very reasonable release clause in Stiller’s contract at Stuttgart. So, that would make him an even more attractive target for Newcastle United.
