Shay Given says he hopes to see Sandro Tonali ignore interest from Arsenal and Manchester United by committing his future to Newcastle, comparing the ‘special’ midfielder to Italian icon Andrea Pirlo.
Tonali is having fun with his third – and arguably his best – season at St James’ Park under Eddie Howe, pulling the strings at the bottom of a midfield three alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
The trio are widely considered to be amongst essentially the most complete midfield mixtures within the Premier League, but there’s mounting speculation that they may get broken up at the top of the campaign.
Arsenal explored a possible move for Tonali towards the top of January following an injury to Mikel Merino and are expected to revive their interest within the 25-year-old in the summertime transfer window.
Manchester United are also believed to be keeping tabs on Tonali’s situation, adding the Italy international to their sizeable shortlist of midfield targets, which also includes the likes of Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba.
Further afield, Juventus are known to be long-term admirers of Tonali’s talents, with the player’s agent refusing to rule out the chance that his client could return to Serie A for next season.
In response, Newcastle have reportedly slapped an eye-watering £100million price tag on their prized possession.
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Considering Tonali’s undoubted quality, Given shouldn’t be surprised to see the midfielder attracting the attentions of a lot of essentially the most high-profile clubs in European football.
Nevertheless, the previous Newcastle goalkeeper is hoping Tonali is in a position to shut out the incessant ‘noise’ as he’s a player the Magpies could look to ‘construct the team around’ within the long-term.
‘He really stepped up together with his two goals at Villa Park on the weekend. Look, he’s a special player, he’s a extremely talented player,’ Given said on TNT Sports ahead of Newcastle’s Champions League win over Qarabag on Wednesday.
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‘There was a whole lot of talk from his agent within the last couple of weeks, a whole lot of noise around him as well about is he there for the long-term.
‘I hope he’s [there for the long-term] because, I’d say an enormous statement here, but he jogs my memory of Pirlo. He makes things look easy.’
Based on Given, Tonali has proven he has more to his game that sets him other than other, more conventional, holding midfielders.
‘He’s a holding midfielder, he at all times seems to have time on the ball, he’s at all times scanning, he’s at all times just comfortable,’ the ex-Republic of Ireland shot-stopper added.
‘He has to interrupt things up as a number six, he does that well. But he does the opposite side of it as he showed the opposite day at Aston Villa.
‘He at all times appears to be relaxed, calm, and he reads the sport ever so well, so he does all that side of it.’
Given continued: ‘The fans have taken to him, they love him up at Newcastle.
‘You can construct your team around someone like Sandro.’
Within the wake of the rumours linking him with Arsenal, Tonali appeared to reaffirm his commitment to Newcastle with an animated goal celebration within the side’s FA Cup win over Aston Villa on the weekend.
Tonali, who scored twice in a 3-1 victory at Villa Park, later explained: ‘The primary one, this celebration was, I feel, seven months without scoring; in the event you don’t rating for seven months, after the primary goal, you have fun for 10 or 11 goals – like Bruno [Guimaraes]!
‘But after the second goal, I got here to Eddie [Howe] because previously few weeks, people spoke about our relationship, but I work day by day with the gaffer, the gaffer works day by day with me, and our relationship is ideal. It’s not broken and I feel this is ideal for the team.
‘We attempt to do the perfect for this team, every game, because we play a whole lot of games – every three days, we play, and we now have to be concentrated each time within the training ground to do the perfect for our team.’
Tonali has made 96 appearances in all competitions across his three-year spell with Newcastle and played a key role last term as Howe’s men lifted the Carabao Cup.
A ten-month ban – after Tonali was found to have breached Italian betting regulations – meant the midfielder played just eight league games within the debut season at St James’ Park.
Tonali’s current contract with the Toon runs through to June 2028, with the choice of an additional 12 months.
In a recent interview with Tuttosport, Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso insisted the Italy international was yet to make a call regarding his future beyond the top of the season.
Asked whether a return to Italy may very well be on the cards for Tonali this summer, Riso replied: ‘There’s no preference without delay.
‘It’s still early. What we’re saying today won’t apply tomorrow.
‘Newcastle couldn’t part with him now and it wasn’t value moving, especially since Sandro may be very attached to the club.
‘We’ll evaluate things in the summertime and choose what to do.’
Riso added: ‘Newcastle is having a tough time letting go of Sandro, and he wants to guide the club into the Champions League,’
‘These transfer discussions will happen later.’
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