The big surprise of FC Barcelona this summer? Sandro Tonali enters the scene

Sandro Tonali could be the surprise of the transfer market of FC Barcelona. The midfielder from Newcastle is on the radar of the Catalan entity, which relies on Andrea Mancini, son of former Italian footballer Roberto Mancini and who works in the technical structure of the club, to closely monitor the player, and the feelings are very positive.

According to reports from 'Mundo Deportivo', the club has very good reports on the transalpine, who has managed to secure a starting position in Eddie Howe's team after being suspended for ten months due to a betting case and going through a period of alternating between starting and bench. In this scenario, there was much speculation about his return to Serie A, but the player's agent, who cost around 70 million euros to the Magpies, denied the rumors by reminding that he has a contract until 2028.

Tonali has been on the culé agenda for the past five seasons. In fact, Massimo Cellino, president of Brescia, where he played for three seasons before moving to Milan, revealed in 2020 an important offer from Barça, which was not finalized before the pandemic and later became ineffective after the appearance of the 'rossonero' in the operation.

"Before the coronavirus, Barcelona had made an offer of 65 million euros plus two very interesting young players valued at seven and a half each. One was a defensive player. I think the Barça board received a response they didn’t like. And not because of Tonali," the executive explained at that time.

Is Tonali a viable option for Barça?

Beyond all this, the reality is that the interest of the blaugranas in the Italian has not transcended, and so far, no offer has been made. And although the player is very much liked by the sports management, the squad already includes Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casadó, Marc Bernal and Gavi in this position, which reduces the urgency.

However, Tonali, who is characterized by his technique, discipline, and good game vision, will continue to be closely observed from the Catalan capital. Newcastle, for its part, would not intend to transfer him, so they could demand a figure higher than 70 million euros to part with the 24-year-old footballer. The culés do not rule out the operation, but it will depend on sales and financial adjustments to comply with financial 'fair play'.