According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has had to make a U-turn on his plans for Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Newcastle United have already been on a rollercoaster this season, with a series of inconsistent performances and a seemingly disjointed approach to their first ten games in the Premier League.
Eddie Howe has always had the support of the St James’ Park faithful thanks to his unbelievable achievement of Champions League qualification and a cup final at Wembley Stadium, something unseen on Tyneside in the last two decades.
However, there has been a lot of frustration directed at the former Bournemouth boss this season so far due to a string of poor performances, and an equally disappointing summer transfer window that is felt to become the catalyst in their inability to reach the high expectations held at the club in recent years.
The club has seen huge progression in a short time and their initial recruitment strategy following the Saudi-led takeover with the acquisition of players like Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Sven Botman gave Geordies a group of players they could truly believe in, but that seems to have fizzled out fast.
The most expensive and exciting signing that Newcastle have made in the last 18 months is Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali, but after being hit with a gambling-related ban for ten months, Howe was left with no choice but to soldier on without him.
Although Tonali returned from his ban in September, he was not instantly reinstated in the starting eleven and like many other players, has been slowly integrated over the last three months.
Now in a Q&A for The Athletic, journalist Chris Waugh has revealed why the talented 24-year-old has not been a mainstay in the team and why the plan for his role has significantly changed:
“When Newcastle signed Tonali, they did so because they wanted a midfielder who could play (almost) equally as well at No 6 and No 8. It is rare that players can do that, certainly at Premier League level.
“The Italian was seen as a player who could both complement Guimaraes as well as step in for him, given that Howe spent the 2022-23 campaign constantly worried the Brazilian would get injured.
“There was, however, also a begrudging acceptance that Guimaraes was likely to depart Tyneside within 12 to 24 months of Tonali arriving.
“That has not come to pass, much to Howe’s delight, but it also means that Tonali is no longer a longer-term replacement for Guimaraes, but someone who needs to fit into the side alongside him.
“So far, when he has started as a No 8 and Guimaraes as a No 6, Newcastle have not quite looked right.”
What’s next for Sandro Tonali at Newcastle?
There is no doubt that Tonali is an incredible asset to the Tyneside club and given his age, has an opportunity to develop and reach new heights if he can nail down his role working alongside Guimaraes.
With Kieran Trippier becoming a lesser feature for Newcastle and the Brazilian unexpectedly remaining, it has made sense for the latter to take the captain’s armband, a responsibility Guimaraes has not taken lightly and has clearly been given to settle any wandering thoughts of chasing a move to a club with more opportunities for trophies in European football.
As a result, it would seem unimaginable that Tonali would be able to displace Newcastle’s number 39 and will instead, need to find a way to perfect a partnership in the centre of the pitch with him.
Once dubbed an “animal” by Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori, the Italy international cost the club £55m in 2023 and for Newcastle, who have faced financial fair play ever since their takeover, it will be important to get their money’s worth out of the midfielder to justify keeping him.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Howe tackles this particular headache over the remainder of the season as he has a talented group of midfielders to choose from and it won’t be easy for the manager to keep everyone happy.
