Could Sandro Tonali be regretting his Newcastle United exit already? The Italian midfielder was part of a major rebuild at Tottenham Hotspur this summer. But so far, the results have not suggested that much has improved at the London club.
After losing their opening two Premier League games, including a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United, Spurs were able to get their first point of the campaign this weekend. They drew 0-0 against Nottingham Forest.
That means that after three games, Tottenham Hotspur are winless in the league. They have just one point. And they are in the relegation zone.
This is not what the club would have envisioned when signing like Tonali in £100 million transfer deals. And Roberto De Zerbi has now openly admitted that the Italian midfielder is not at his best right now.
De Zerbi makes blunt admission about Tonali
According to The Shields Gazette, De Zerbi said regarding Tonali’s situation:
“He is not in the right condition, in the best condition yet, maybe physically, even though he worked with us at the beginning of the pre-season.”
Some have pointed towards the fact that Tonali put in decent performances in pre-season but has struggled when competitive football began. De Zerbi said:
“Yes, and he started very well the game, for example, with Chelsea or Hoffenheim. I think it can happen also the time, maybe he needs more time to understand a new club.
“I remember in the first season in AC Milan, the second season they won the Scudetto, Serie A, but the first season he suffered.
“Then, in the second season, hopefully we want him to play at a good level, already in the first season, but maybe for a new player, it’s different now, the dressing room.”
Well, it is safe to say that these are things that you expect from youngsters, at the start of their senior career, coming into a different league. Players like Tonali are expected to make an immediate impact.
That is why Tottenham Hotspur paid a £100 million transfer fee to sign him. But so far, it has not paid off. Then again, it has only been three games so far. Way too early to make any judgments. That would be far too reactionary.
Have Newcastle United replaced Tonali?
It remains to be seen if Newcastle United have been able to. In the recently-concluded summer transfer window, the Magpies did sign three midfielders.
Sean Steur was signed from Ajax. Aladji Bamba was brought in from AS Monaco. And the headline addition was that of Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City.
Gonzalez is going to be a starter, there is little doubt about that. Steur has looked like an option off the bench. Bamba has not played much yet though and might need some more time to find his feet in English football.
Most fans would have preferred to have seen Newcastle United sign another ready-made midfielder this summer. But it is what it is. Let’s see what this set of players does.