Manchester City are weighing up a move for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, with Tottenham Hotspur having already seen an offer worth around £80m rejected.
The Italy international has become one of the major midfield names in the Premier League transfer market, with City considering whether to rival Spurs while continuing their pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.
Tonali, 26, is under contract at Newcastle until 2029 and the Magpies are not actively looking to sell. That gives Newcastle a strong negotiating position, especially after Sky Sports reported that Tottenham’s bid was knocked back immediately.
Why Tonali now matters to City’s rebuild
City’s interest is significant because their midfield rebuild is already moving at pace. Bernardo Silva has joined Real Madrid, Rodri’s future has been the subject of outside interest, and incoming head coach Enzo Maresca is expected to need fresh control and running power in central areas.
Tonali would bring Premier League experience, defensive bite and tempo-setting quality, but the price would be enormous. Newcastle paid AC Milan £55m for him three years ago and have little incentive to weaken their own midfield unless the offer becomes impossible to ignore.
For City, the immediate question is whether Tonali is a parallel target to Anderson or a more ambitious follow-up. According to Sky Sports, City are interested in the possibility of doing both deals, which would underline just how aggressively they intend to reshape Maresca’s squad.
