Newcastle United are preparing to rebuild their midfield this summer, with Sandro Tonali expected to leave St James' Park amid interest from Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City. The Magpies have placed a £100m price tag on the Italian and have already rejected one bid from Spurs.
Midfield Reinforcements Needed
Should Tonali depart, Newcastle will likely need two new midfielders to bolster Eddie Howe's squad. The club has already seen Anthony Gordon leave for Barcelona in a £69.3m deal, and further sales are anticipated as Newcastle seek to increase revenue through player sales to fund a squad rebuild. Joe Willock is another fringe player who could be sold, with Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Leeds United interested in the former Arsenal midfielder for around £20m.
Howe will have Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Miley, Jacob Ramsey, and Joelinton at his disposal next season. However, without European football, he still wants at least six first-choice midfielders to rotate.
Top Transfer Targets
Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara has remained top of Newcastle's transfer wishlist for some time. The 22-year-old Senegalese international is currently on World Cup duty and is available for around £50m. He has built a strong reputation in Ligue 1, and Howe has watched him on several occasions, keen to add more No. 6 options.
Another target is Inter Milan youngster Aleksandar Stankovic, who impressed on loan at Club Brugge last season. Inter recently activated a €23m buy-back clause to bring him back, but they are willing to consider offers around €40m. Newcastle have also been linked with Kees Smit and Hayden Hackney.
£265m Midfield Unit
If Newcastle secure both Camara and Stankovic, their midfield unit could be worth approximately £265m. This combination would allow Bruno Guimaraes to operate in more advanced areas, with Camara, Stankovic, Joelinton, and Miley all relishing deeper-lying roles. Ramsey can provide width, pace, or play as a No. 10, giving Howe plenty of options across the centre of the park.
Tonali's future remains unclear, though it feels increasingly likely he will not be at Newcastle for the season opener against Liverpool on August 23. However, if Newcastle execute their transfer strategy effectively, they could emerge from the window with a formidable midfield unit.
