Sandro Tonali’s agent names two Premier League clubs as Newcastle star’s dream move

Sandro Tonali’s agent has declared the Newcastle midfielder is pining for a switch to either Arsenal or Manchester City.

Giuseppe Riso has indicated that a move to a ‘top’ Premier League club has always been the plan for the Italy international since his arrival on Tyneside in 2023 from AC Milan.

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In a stunning interview with Italian media, Riso cast more doubt over Tonali’s future ahead of the summer.

The comments have also coincided with the 25-year-old missing Newcastle’s 1-0 win away at Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tonali was ruled out through illness, the same bug that has impacted Nick Woltemade and Anthony Gordon in recent weeks.

Toon boss Eddie Howe is hoping to have him back available for their crunch Champions League clash against Barcelona in the last-16 on Wednesday.

And you can be sure that the ex-Bournemouth boss won’t be best pleas by bombshell comments made by Riso.

When pressed about a potential move away from Newcastle to a title challenging tea, such as Arsenal or Manchester City, Riso said: “Exactly, that was the aim from the moment he went to England: to try and turn him into a star player.

“I think he’s the Italian player with one of the highest values in the world.” 

He was then asked if an impressive showing at this summer’s World Cup will be beneficial to Tonali, to which he said: “I don’t know, but it’s very likely.

“Everyone is waiting for the World Cup, then a thousand scenarios will unfold, but it all kicks off after the World Cup.”

What else did Riso say?

Riso discussed how Tonali’s move to Newcastle came about before his betting ban.

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The Magpies picked up the versatile midfielder for around £52million from Italian giants Milan.

He has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the club and played a huge role in the Toon ending their wait for a domestic trophy with victory in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool last year.

But when talking about the move to St James’ Park, Riso remarked: “The deal came about because a club like Newcastle with virtually unlimited financial resources had decided to invest in Sandro.

“We considered the idea of giving the player the chance to play in a higher-level league. 

“Did we know about the betting? No, absolutely not – partly because we would have intervened otherwise.

“I must say that the transfer ultimately proved to be a winning move from this perspective, because both Newcastle and its fans treated Sandro incredibly well, always supporting him.

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“In Italy, he received a different treatment. Not from the Milan fans, who always protected him.”

Tonali’s future

talkSPORT understands that Tonali is set to be at the centre of a transfer saga with Arsenal, Man City, Manchester United and clubs in Italy monitoring the situation.

Newcastle have no need to sell Tonali with his contract set to expire in 2029 with the option for an extra year.

The Toon value the Italian international at around £80m-£100m, but they would ideally like to keep him at the club.

Tonali is a key player for Howe having chipped in with three goals and seven assists from 46 games in all competitions this season.