EDDIE HOWE hinted at a ‘marquee signing’ in the final weeks of last season, and the impending transfer of Sandro Tonali from AC Milan certainly fits that bill.

An established Italy international, fresh from playing in the semi-finals of the Champions League and currently skippering his nation’s Under-21s side at the Euros, Tonali is exactly the type of player an ambitious club like Newcastle should be targeting. As a defensive-minded playmaker adept at anchoring the midfield, Tonali will immediately improve the Magpies’ starting XI.

His €70m switch from Serie A will be confirmed before the end of the week – the delay, as he continues his campaign at the Under-21s Euros, is no cause for concern – but the signing is not without its issues. Newcastle have pushed the boat out to sign Tonali, making the 23-year-old their highest-paid player, but his capture creates budgetary pressures elsewhere.

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Ideally, Newcastle’s recruitment team would like to sign an attacking midfielder as well this summer, but both Dominik Szoboszlai and James Maddison currently look out of range unless their current clubs reduce their valuations.

Tottenham are set to make their own move for Maddison shortly, which would further complicate matters on that front, and if Newcastle are to bring in another player in the £40-50m bracket this summer, they might well have to sacrifice someone to make the sums add up. Allan Saint-Maximin, who found himself in and out of the team last season, would be the likeliest candidate to make way, although Newcastle have not yet received a formal offer for his services.

Left-back was a priority position at the start of the summer and remains an area of key interest, although Arsenal’s refusal to reduce their valuation of Kieran Tierney is forcing the Magpies to cast their net a little wider than they would perhaps have liked. Fulham’s Antonee Robinson has been touted as a possible alternative, along with AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez.

Ciaran Clark was released at the start of the summer, but the Irishman will not be the only fringe player to leave. Returning loanees Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden do not have a future on Tyneside, while Karl Darlow is also set to head through the exit door, with Middlesbrough, Hull and Blackburn all interested.

Matt Ritchie could still depart despite Newcastle triggering a one-year extension to his contract, while the Magpies are still waiting to hear what Loris Karius and Paul Dummett’s plans are.


INS: Yankuba Minteh (from Odense Boldklub)


OUTS: Chris Wood (to Nottingham Forest), Ciaran Clark (released), Matty Longstaff (released), Yankuba Minteh (to Feyenoord, loan)


TARGETS: Sandro Tonali (deal pending), Dominik Szoboszlai, James Maddison, Khephren Thuram, Kieran Tierney, Antonee Robinson, Theo Hernandez, Joachim Andersen