Sandro Tonali's Shock Move: Newcastle Shatters Transfer Records with Astonishing £55m Signing of AC Milan Midfielder

Newcastle have successfully finalized a £55m agreement to acquire AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.

Tonali has consented to a lucrative five-year deal at St James' Park, marking him as Newcastle's inaugural signing for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe hailed Sandro as an outstanding talent with the ideal combination of mentality, physicality, and technical abilities to seamlessly integrate into our team. At just 23, Sandro has already gained valuable experience as a pivotal player in one of Europe's premier leagues, featured in the prestigious Champions League, and represented his national team.

Gordon: Tonali one of the best midfielders in the world

Tonali, who has recently completed his participation in the Under-21s European Championships, in which Gordon is also a prominent player representing England.

"I was familiar with him since his early days at Brescia. I recall watching a few videos of him prior to his move to Milan," mentioned Gordon regarding Tonali, following England's advancement to the tournament's semi-finals.

"He has excelled and is one of the top midfielders in the world. It shows the direction we are going in. I'm really looking forward to playing with him."

Where will Tonali fit in at Newcastle?

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Newcastle is optimistic that Tonali's enthusiasm will now be mirrored in their black and white kit. The transfer fee, which has been referred to as a surprising amount by Gazzetta dello Sport, was an offer that Milan simply couldn't turn down.

In order to solidify their interest in the player, Newcastle dispatched representatives to meet with him. Tonali recently led Italy's U21 team as the captain during the European Championships in Georgia and Romania.

With the arrival of Tonali at St James' Park, Eddie Howe is considering positioning Bruno Guimaraes higher up the field. However, it's important to note that Guimaraes is not your typical defensive midfielder. He is unlikely to be seen solely stationed in front of the defense. Newcastle experienced difficulties when Sean Longstaff was injured, as Guimaraes had to adapt to playing in a deeper role from January to May. During this period, Howe only had four established midfielders available to him.

It threatened to derail the side, with home defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal contributing to a record of one win in eight games against top-five rivals.

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Tonali was instrumental in Milan's run to the Champions League semi-finals last season

Tonali played as a No 6 under Pioli for most of last season in a 4-2-3-1 formation. This setup allowed Guimaraes to have more freedom to play in advanced positions. Tonali is skilled with both feet and has good ball control, which will enhance Newcastle's ability to keep possession. Newcastle was the 12th most accurate passing team in the Premier League last season. The contract Tonali is set to sign will be extended until 2028, making it the highest-value sale ever for an Italian player.

Signing this statement is merely a piece of Howe's carefully calculated strategy as Newcastle strives to solidify their position among the top teams in European football. In the previous summer, Newcastle successfully secured Sven Botman, a player highly sought after by Milan. However, they have now managed to allure the individual who was originally earmarked to become Milan's club captain.

Content: Tonali has confessed that his childhood hero was none other than Gennaro Gattuso, known for his penchant for playing daringly.

By combining Pirlo's elegance with Gattuso's rugged determination, Newcastle can secure a long-lasting presence in the Champions League, ensuring that their return after a 20-year absence is not short-lived.

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