Sandro Tonali: Man United sent fresh Newcastle transfer message by club chief after “Isak-scenario” claim

Newcastle United chief executive David Hopkinson has said that players will only leave the club "on our terms" amid uncertainty over the future of in-demand Sandro Tonali.

Surprise reports of interest in Tonali from Premier League leaders Arsenal emerged in the closing stages of the January transfer window and speculation over the Italy international’s future has been rife ever since.

Manchester United and Manchester City are the latest clubs believed to be closely monitoring Tonali’s situation, along with Arsenal, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that the midfielder would be ‘open’ to joining the former this summer.

Romano claims that the Red Devils have already made contact with Tonali’s agent, and while there is no agreement in place just yet, their interest is said to be genuine.

Newcastle would ideally like to keep hold of their star players including Tonali and avoid back-to-back marque departures following the club-record sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer.

Tonali will only leave this summer on Newcastle’s terms

Newcastle chief Hopkinson was specifically asked about Tonali by reporters on Tuesday and he insisted that players will only leave the club on their terms.

"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."

Champions League qualification will boost Man Utd hopes of Tonali signing

A summer transfer away from Newcastle is not nailed-on for Tonali, who pledged his loyalty to the Magpies in February when responding to speculation over his future.

However, with Newcastle currently sitting 12th in the Premier League table and 12 points behind the top four with seven games remaining, Tonali may look to seek pastures new if Eddie Howe’s side fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Man United are likely to join both Arsenal and Man City in next season’s Champions League, as they sit third in the top-flight standings and seven points above Chelsea in sixth spot.

The Red Devils are expected to prioritise the addition of at least one new centre-midfielder this summer, with Tonali said to be one of several targets along with Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba, Matheus Fernandes and Joao Gomes.

Tonali, who scored for Italy in their 2026 World Cup playoff semi-final win over Northern Ireland last Thursday, is under contract at St James’ Park until June 2028 and the former AC Milan star is believed to be valued at around £87m.