Sandro Tonali's agent, Beppe Risso, has revealed that the midfielder's first few weeks at Newcastle United were 'extremely difficult' after leaving AC Milan in 2023.
Newcastle paid £55m for the then 23-year-old Italian, who scored after just six minutes on his debut in a 5-1 win over Aston Villa and quickly became a fan favourite.
Agent recalls emotional departure
Speaking on the Colpi da Maestro podcast, as reported by Milan News, Risso reflected on the decision to leave Italy. "We had the feeling that Milan was different," he said. "I know Milan well, and it didn't give me the feeling of the historic Milan. Speaking with Sandro, we discussed moving to the Premier League, it was a challenge that fascinated him."
"He had the courage because he was one of the most important players and had won a Scudetto. He had the courage to leave, he was a visionary."
Risso added: "Was it difficult? Very difficult for him, extremely difficult. In the first few weeks, I saw him sad, but then he took the measure and imposed himself as always."
Ban and return
Later that year, Tonali was handed a 10-month ban from football after admitting illegal gambling-related activities. Newcastle stood by him, and he continued to train with team-mates before making an emotional return in August 2024.
He was a key member of the team that secured a Champions League place that season and a driving force behind the Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool in March 2025.
Move to Tottenham
Newcastle agreed to sell Tonali to Tottenham for £100m this summer to generate revenue for a squad rebuild, but his move to North London has not gone to plan so far.
Spurs are winless in five Premier League games and sit bottom of the table. Tonali did not play in their only victory of the season, a Carabao Cup home win over Championship side Charlton.
