Fernandes Backs Tonali as United Plot Summer Raid on Newcastle

Manchester United are gearing up to make a formal approach for Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali this summer, with club captain Bruno Fernandes reportedly championing the move after being impressed by the Italian's performances.

The Red Devils' transfer strategy last year drew criticism from some quarters, with the club investing heavily—around £200m—in attacking reinforcements through the arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko. Midfield, however, remained conspicuously neglected despite glaring gaps in that area of the squad, much to the frustration of INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's critics.

That oversight looks set to be corrected this summer, with United planning to redirect resources towards signing at least two new midfielders. Tonali has now emerged as the primary target, edging ahead of other options including Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton on the club's wishlist.

According to reports, Fernandes has lent his backing to pursuing the Newcastle man, sufficiently impressed by what he's witnessed from his midfield opposite number. United are said to be moving to the front of the queue for Tonali's signature and have ruled out chasing his Magpies colleague Bruno Guimaraes.

Juventus remain keen on repatriating Tonali to Serie A after his spell at Newcastle, where he has maintained consistently high standards. However, the £80m valuation being placed on the 26-year-old appears likely to prove prohibitive for the Italian giants' financial constraints.

Fabrizio Romano outlined the situation on his YouTube channel: "Juve have been trying to bring Sandro Tonali back to Italy for a couple of years now. The player himself is also quite keen on the idea. Sandro Tonali has been doing rather well at Newcastle since his return; he has maintained a very, very high standard."

Romano went on to suggest the momentum is shifting: "Regarding Sandro Tonali, the direction of the Tonali deal ahead of the summer of 2026 is increasingly pointing towards England, where he's clearly already at Newcastle, but where he can take a further step up. The issue here, too, is financial, economic. For Juventus, Tonali has always been a fixation in recent years."

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest's Anderson appears destined for Manchester City, though former United defender Rio Ferdinand has publicly advocated for bringing the England international to Old Trafford instead. Ferdinand believes the club requires a different profile of midfielder than either Tonali or Guimaraes can provide.

"Tonali is a big talent that everyone is talking about, Guimaraes is another big talent that everyone is talking about, but I just think the type of midfielder United need is somebody who is a bit more all-action, who can cover ground, who is dynamic, who is robust, strong, who can drive a team," Ferdinand explained. "Right now Anderson seems to be ticking those boxes. But I think there are a few other young guns out there who I won't mention their names yet because I don't want anyone else to get on that scent."