Compared to a cult, this slightly unexpected addition is the face of Saudi-backed Newcastle’s spending power but has yet to cash in on PL ability…
It was unusual to follow Newcastle United’s eventual takeover by Saudi Arabia on social media. It didn’t seem entirely genuine.
As more money, influence, and steady advancement under Eddie Howe have been rewarded with an already spectacular Champions League adventure, you can believe that feeling has been transmitted to the fans as well.
The Magpies have become media darlings, but it’s not the conventional things that have grabbed my attention. It hasn’t been enormous Dan Burn dancing like an inflatable with its arms swinging on a car dealership forecourt or Jason Tindall appearing like a gormless, grinning “Where’s Wally?” The midfield has drawn most of the focus. Sandro Tonali has always been at the center of the controversy.
How good was Sandro Tonali at AC Milan?
In an overall three seasons at Milan, Tonali developed into a leader on the pitch.
A deep-lying threat who could both put the graft in as well as pop with an important goal, debatably without him in the system – the Rossoneri would’ve missed out on a lot of goals. In 97 Serie A games, Tonali provided 10 assists and scored seven times.
Notably in Milan’s Scudetto winning season of 2021/22, the midfielder bagged a crucial goal against Lazio to seal a late 2-1 comeback win. The goal featured below signalled a huge three points that sent San Siro’s residents to the Serie A summit with just four games to go. It was some highlight to ultimately bow out on after the following season’s Napoli resurgence.
What exactly went wrong in Newcastle?
Tonali was extensively linked to a move to England after a string of spectacular performances for Milan, with Arsenal, Newcastle, and even Chelsea being involved.
In the end, newly-rich Newcastle won out in July 2023 when the Italian agreed to a massive five-year, £120,000-per-week contract for €70 million (£60.4 million).
He was yet another historic signing in his brief career, and some admirers drew comparisons to cult figures from the past. Peter Davey, a fan of Newcastle and developer of online entertainment, claimed Tonali resembled a particular French midfielder.
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