Sandro Tonali Breaks Silence on Wild Arsenal Transfer Rumors That Shocked Deadline Day
Eddie Howe stated that Sandro Tonali remains "completely committed" to Newcastle United after the strange developments on January Transfer Deadline Day that temporarily connected the midfielder with Arsenal.
Arsenal's loss of Mikel Merino to a significant injury over the weekend was followed by Mikel Arteta acknowledging that the team would be "actively seeking" a replacement before the transfer window closed, sparking rumors that Tonali was the target of an ambitious last-minute bid.
Later reports claimed that Tonali's representative, Giuseppe Riso, was behind the move, though he subsequently denied any communication with Arsenal. Riso did, however, hint at discussions with Newcastle next month that could set the stage for a summer move instead … "if Newcastle are willing."
For the time being, Magpies manager Howe is confident that Tonali's focus hasn't been disrupted by the developments—or lack thereof—of the past 48 hours.
"His sole concentration was on Manchester City and attempting to secure victory in that match, so there's definitely no concern with Sandro personally," Howe informed reporters on Tuesday, before the following day's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Etihad Stadium—Newcastle are behind 2–0 on aggregate from the opening leg.
"He's extremely content and dedicated, so I struggle to discuss matters I don't have extensive knowledge about. I can only speak about Sandro as an individual and footballer, and his current mentality. After speaking with him, he's completely fine."
How Will Arsenal Replace Mikel Merino?
How Will Arsenal Replace Mikel Merino?
In the end, there wasn't sufficient time to utilize the transfer market to find even a temporary replacement for Merino, who might not return until the season's final month, so Arteta and his team will need to find an internal solution.
Unfortunately, the obvious midfield replacement would have been Ethan Nwaneri, who joined Marseille on loan—importantly without a recall option—just over a week before.
However, Arteta now has Kai Havertz available again in attacking midfield after the adaptable German missed the season's first half due to injury. Christian Nørgaard, though a very different type of player, can also fill the void even if some tactical adjustments are needed.
Merino had also established himself further up the pitch as an emergency forward, but once more the squad depth is stronger than it was just weeks ago. The previously mentioned Havertz, along with in-form Gabriel Jesus, are both capable of supporting primary striker Viktor Gyökeres.
Despite Merino's value as a player, his absence isn't as catastrophic as it might have been previously.
Newcastle Expecting Future Tonali Interest
Newcastle Expecting Future Tonali Interest
Regardless of Arsenal's involvement, Newcastle view it as normal that Tonali should be attracting attention and don't anticipate that changing.
"Our top players will always draw attention from other teams. That's simply the nature of football," Howe explained. "We aim to maintain the squad intact. We want to continue developing and, naturally, Sandro contributes to that by striving to reach his peak performance and play at his highest level to assist the team. Overall, I don't perceive a problem, but I'm not in charge of everything."