Manchester United are pursuing a significant midfield rebuild this summer, with Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United remaining firmly on their list of targets ahead of the transfer window.
Reports emerging from Italy suggest United are not treating their pursuit of Tonali and Atalanta midfielder Ederson as a choice between the two players.
Journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that United remain interested in Tonali even while making strong progress on a separate deal for Ederson this summer.
The reasoning behind pursuing both players centres on United’s need for multiple midfield additions, particularly with Casemiro expected to leave the club at the end of the season.
A further complication for Newcastle involves a reported gentleman’s agreement that Tonali has with the club, first surfacing back in March of this year.
That agreement reportedly allows Tonali to leave Newcastle if the club fails to qualify for European football and a major club comes in for him.
The agreement has resurfaced in fresh reports from Italy, adding another layer of complexity to Newcastle’s ability to retain the Italian midfielder going forward.
Ederson is expected to cost somewhere between £43m and £50m, while Tonali is anticipated to command a significantly higher fee given his profile and age.
Fabrizio Romano has indicated that United view the overall operation as expensive, particularly when the salary demands of both players are factored into the equation.
Newcastle are expected to demand a premium price for Tonali, with some reports citing figures in the range of €75m to €100m, and potentially higher depending on the negotiation.
Tonali offers a profile that differs from a straightforward defensive midfielder, bringing intensity, ball progression and the ability to control the tempo of matches at the highest level.
Newcastle’s failure to qualify for European competition this season could prove significant in shaping how Tonali’s situation develops over the coming weeks and months.
United’s interest in transforming their midfield appears to go beyond simply replacing Casemiro, pointing toward a broader structural change in how the team operates in that area of the pitch.
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