Newcastle knock back opening bid for Sandro Tonali as star's future at St James' Park feels as good as over
Newcastle United have knocked back an £80million offer for Italy star Sandro Tonali after an approach from Tottenham Hotspur.
The bid was officially tabled this week, and Newcastle instantly rejected it because, as reported by Chronicle Live at the start of the window, Newcastle believe they can yield £100m for the want-away midfielder.
Giuseppe Riso is exploring all of the options for Tonali, and Newcastle ARE open to selling the ex-AC Milan player at the right price.
Despite reports of Newcastle wanting £85m, it is understood that the only satisfactory figure for Tonali is £100m this summer.
Tottenham have joined the queue for Tonali, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal also interested, but the Gunners have previously indicated that they will not pay over the odds for the midfielder.
Tonali's agent Riso had said previously: "Exactly, that was the goal from the moment he went to England – to try to make him a star player. I think he’s the Italian footballer with one of the highest values in the world.
"The deal came about because a club like Newcastle, with unlimited financial resources, had decided to invest in Sandro. We considered the idea of having the player play in a higher-level league."
Newcastle had looked to give Tonali more responsibility moving forward and the prospect of him being offered vice-captaincy had been discussed.
Tonali captained the Magpies in the 2-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth last season but he could have played his last game for United.
Tonali had said previously on Newcastle: " I’m happy where I am now. I’ve found people who care about me and I care about them. I don’t want to break any of the bonds I’ve built.
"I’ve had a lot of thoughts every day - but right now - I’m very happy where I am."
Speaking on the transfer strategy last spring, CEO David Hopkinson said: "We haven't got an overall strategy with regard to players out, necessarily," he said.
"We think through what players might or might not want to do this summer. But if an Isak-like scenario presents itself again, any player under contract is going to leave on our terms, and we're going to maximise the opportunity that might represent for the club.
"Going forward, our strategy is to buy well and sell well. Buying well does not necessarily mean spending the most money. It means working in the marketplace for the players that generate the most value for this club, rather than the fee paid for them.
"So there are a multitude of things we need to employ, including developing our own, looking for opportunities in the marketplace and making sure we are maximising our opportunity within the available price we can produce."