The misery just keeps coming for Newcastle United fans and a recent update on Sandro Tonali is perhaps the worst news yet.
Shortly after the dismal defeat that saw Newcastle United fans boo their own team against Brentford, yet more bad news emerged.
Indeed, Tonali has been honest about his long-term future at Newcastle. Earlier this season, the Italian left the door open to a potential exit.
While that was refreshing to hear after the toxicity of the Alexander Isak saga, it’s still a blow.
It would be understandable if Tonali wanted to go. This Newcastle team don’t look like they’re going anywhere right now, although his form has deserted him in recent weeks.
Few would doubt his quality, however, and perhaps the long-mooted return to Italy would appeal to him.
Still, recent reports linking him with Manchester United are difficult to swallow.
Sandro Tonali transfer saga expected at Newcastle United this summer
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Old Trafford giants are keen on Tonali.
It’s claimed that the midfielder features highly on their shortlist as they prepare for life after Casemiro, who will leave the club at the end of the season.
The report adds that Tonali is expected to command a transfer fee of around £100million, and that the Manchester club are also considering a certain Elliot Anderson.
However, they do suggest that Tonali is expected to be at the heart of another transfer saga this summer, 12 months after the Isak debacle.
Sandro Tonali joining Manchester United would sting
Manchester United mocked Newcastle in the transfer market earlier this season, having signed Toon targets Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.
There’s some debate as to how much the Magpies really wanted to sign the first two, but there is absolutely no doubt that Sesko rejected Newcastle.
The Red Devils are a rival on Tyneside. They might not consider themselves one, but they are.
The success of the PIF era at Newcastle saw them shoot way past the Manchester club in the ascendancy, while those at Old Trafford often looked like a relic of the past.
So, to see Newcastle’s project continue to struggle and Tonali move to Old Trafford would sting – perhaps even worse than Isak’s move to Liverpool.