Newcastle United, belonging to the English Premier League, announced today, Monday, the signing of Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali from Milan on a five-year contract until 2028. Newcastle did not disclose any financial details, but British reports stated that the English club paid €70 million ($76.28 million) with additional incentive clauses. Tonali thanked Newcastle United for giving him a wonderful opportunity in his career, saying, "I want to repay the trust on the pitch and give my all as always."
This transfer will make Tonali the most expensive Italian player of all time, and it also represents a record deal for Milan, surpassing the previous record when they sold Brazilian Kaká to Real Madrid for €68 million in 2009.
Described as following in Andrea Pirlo's footsteps, Tonali led Milan to win the league title for the first time in 11 years in the 2021-2022 season and was a key element in his club reaching the Champions League semi-finals last season. He played more matches than any other player at Milan last season, contributing approximately 4000 minutes across all competitions.
Despite Milan coach Stefano Pioli employing different formations, Tonali was regularly featured in the midfield as the team finished the season in the top four and qualified again for the Champions League. Tonali has appeared in 14 matches for Italy but was not included in the national squad for the Nations League finals, where the team finished third.
Newcastle qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after finishing in the top four of the Premier League under the management of coach Eddie Howe. Tonali becomes the second player to join Newcastle this summer, following the signing of 18-year-old forward Yankuba Minteh.
