Newcastle to open talks with ‘exceptional’ player and avoid Alexander Isak 2.0
Newcastle United have endured a mixed start to the season in the wake of a difficult summer transfer window at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 last time out, but remain 11th in the Premier League table with two wins, three draws and two defeats from seven games.
Alexander Isak’s deadline day move to Liverpool was the focus for the majority of the summer, causing further uncertainty behind the scenes at Newcastle.
The likes of Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes have also been frequently linked with moves away from the Magpies in the wake of Isak’s departure.
However, the move has reinforced the stance at St James Park that they will do everything in their power to keep their best players at the club long-term.
Newcastle United plan to offer Sandro Tonali a new contract
Newcastle have been tipped to extend star players’ contracts, with Guimaraes looking likely to pen a new deal at St James Park in the near future.
In the mean time, Newcastle are set to start working on a new deal for Sandro Tonali, who has become a crucial part of Howe’s plans with his performances this season.
That is according to former Man United and Sunderland chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that talks will take place the midfielder to extend his stay in the North East.
“Newcastle want to extend Tonali’s contract,” he told Football Insider.
“By all accounts, he’s been fantastic for them this season and he was last season too, and he’s really established himself as a key player in their midfield.
“Alongside Bruno and Joelinton, he looks a really important and valuable player for them.
“After losing Isak in the summer, I expect they’ll be doing everything in their power to keep their other star players at the club, because they don’t want to be in that situation again.
“They’ve seen the impact of what an unhappy or unsettled player can do behind the scenes.
“If they can commit somebody like Tonali to a new deal, it goes some way towards showing that they are still ambitious and still looking to move forward.
“I expect their focus now will be on getting him tied down, so they’ll have talks about the new deal and see what it might take to reach that agreement.”
Tonali, who Jason Tindall recently labelled “exceptional” [via X], will see his current deal expire in 2027 as things stand but Newcastle are making efforts to keep him around.
Newcastle deal fresh blow to clubs interested in Tonali
Brown told Football Insider in December 2024 that AC Milan and Juventus were interested in Tonali, as there has been long-term interest in luring him back to Italy.
However, the Magpies have been steadfast in their desire not to lose the midfielder and are now moving to deter any interest in his signature.
Newcastle have placed a £130million price tag on Tonali, more than double the £60million fee they paid to land him, as they have no plans to see him go.
Football Insider revealed in April that Newcastle are in a strong position to keep Tonali, and did so during the summer despite concerns about other star players.
Following Isak’s departure, the Magpies are even more determined to keep hold of their most important players, among which Tonali has cemented himself.
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