Newcastle Open Door for Tonali Exit as Man Utd Circle with £24m Strategy Shift

Newcastle have effectively given the green light for Sandro Tonali to leave St James' Park this summer, opening the door for Manchester United to make their move for the Italian midfielder.

The midfielder's representatives have been actively shopping him around the Premier League and European clubs, and while Manchester City initially posed a threat to any deal, Fabrizio Romano confirmed they are pressing ahead with their pursuit of Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson instead. City remain confident of landing their top target after leading the race since March, leaving United as the primary suitor for Tonali.

According to reports, the Red Devils have already been offered a chance to land the 26-year-old, with Italian sources claiming Newcastle are demanding €115 million. United appear ready to meet those demands, setting up a potential summer transfer.

A Fresh Approach at Newcastle

What makes this particularly significant is the shift in Newcastle's transfer philosophy under new sporting director Ross Wilson, who took charge in October. The club's imminent £24 million acquisition of Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen signals a wholesale change in how they operate the market. The 20-year-old has barely featured in France's top flight, but Newcastle are backing his potential rather than his current output.

This marks a departure from their previous strategy of plucking established stars from Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth, and Nottingham Forest. Instead, Wilson wants to identify younger talents before they reach their peak—the type of players those elite clubs themselves are targeting. Newcastle have also registered strong interest in Spain international Victor Muñoz of Osasuna, though they missed out on 18-year-old Zadok Yohanna to Brighton.

Lessons from Isak

The willingness to let Tonali go reflects hard lessons learned from last summer's Alexander Isak saga. Newcastle's hierarchy have concluded they should have either sold the striker early in the window or held firm throughout, rather than enduring months of uncertainty. That mindset has already been tested this summer with Anthony Gordon's swift £70 million exit to Barcelona—a departure handled without resistance.

One club source told The Telegraph: "We need to take away the alarm that players do leave football clubs. It's not a new phenomenon. Not every player linked with a move will leave, but some will and that is just the business of football. Every club sells players and we are going to do so too, as long as the terms of the deal are beneficial to us."

Tonali's departure would represent another significant scalp, though Newcastle insist they have succession plans in place. The club's valuation of the midfielder is reportedly set to align with whatever Nottingham Forest command for Anderson, with Newcastle rating both players on a similar level.

Supporters should brace themselves for further big-name exits before the window closes.