Sportitalia: Newcastle turn to Tonali after Barella snub

According to Sportitalia, Newcastle United are offering €60m for Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali after recognising that Inter will not sell Nicolò Barella.

It was well known over the last few days that Barella was the first choice for the Magpies, but the reported £50m proposal was simply never going to be enough.

Now Italian transfer experts claim the Premier League side have turned their attention towards a different Italy international midfielder who also plays his football at San Siro, but for Inter’s bitter rivals Milan.

They are now going for Tonali and the situation might be different here, especially after the Rossoneri sacked director and club legend Paolo Maldini, who had been instrumental in bringing him to the club.

Newcastle will probably need to convince the player, who is a lifelong Rossoneri supporter and only recently signed a new contract to June 2027.

Milan paid €19.5m to sign him from Brescia, initially on loan in 2020 with obligation to buy, and the new directors would be more open to a sale than Inter are with Barella.