Juventus feel pretty good about their chances of bringing Sandro Tonali back to Italy. The 25-year-old Italian international, now at Newcastle United, has drawn plenty of attention—especially from Chelsea. The London club wants to strengthen its midfield and has been keeping a close eye on Tonali’s situation at St. James’ Park.

But Chelsea has a problem. Juventus aren’t just interested—they’re confident. They believe they can win this race and tempt Tonali back to Serie A. After a strong run in Europe, Chelsea still might come up short if Juventus gets their way.

Tonali’s time at Newcastle has been a bit of a rollercoaster. He arrived from AC Milan in a £55 million deal last July and quickly became one of the most reliable midfielders in the Premier League. He did have to sit out several months with a betting ban, but when he’s played, he’s looked sharp and dependable. He’s closing in on 100 appearances for Newcastle, with seven goals and seven assists—not bad for a midfielder. His performances, both for club and country, have turned heads across Europe. Luciano Spalletti, in particular, is pushing hard for Juventus to land him, but Chelsea isn’t giving up easily.

Chelsea’s interest is a bit of a surprise, honestly. On paper, their midfield looks set, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez holding things down. But injuries to Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo have forced Chelsea to get creative, even playing Reece James in midfield at times. That’s opened the door for a player like Tonali.

Juventus, on the other hand, needs to plan for the future. With Weston McKennie’s future up in the air, they’re searching for a versatile midfielder, and Tonali fits the bill. The Turin club really believe they can get this deal done.

So, it looks like Chelsea will have a tough time prying Tonali away from Newcastle, especially with Juventus pushing hard for him. It’ll take a lot to convince Newcastle to sell, but if Tonali does leave, a return to Serie A feels more and more likely.

Newcastle United kicked off 2026 with a solid 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at St. James’ Park, jumping up to ninth place in the Premier League. The first half didn’t offer much, but things changed after the break. Bruno Guimaraes, wearing the captain’s armband, nodded in his seventh goal of the season to finally break the deadlock. That puts him level with Nick Woltemade as Newcastle’s top scorer in the league this year.

Not long after, Guimaraes whipped in a corner, and Malick Thiaw was right there to tap it home from close range. That’s Thiaw’s first goal at St. James’ since joining from AC Milan over the summer.

Guimaraes has been on a roll lately—he scored in the 3-1 win over Burnley to close out 2025, and now he’s helped Newcastle bag back-to-back victories to start the new year. After the match, the 28-year-old shared his excitement on Instagram: “We finished 2025 in the best possible way and started 2026 even better! Happy with the three points and another goal. We’re giving everything we have to achieve our objectives this year. Howay the lads!” Thiaw chimed in with a comment, calling him the “Magician.”

Thiaw, still buzzing after his goal, told Premier League Productions just how much he rates his captain: “Bruno Guimaraes is incredible. Off the pitch, a super nice guy—but on the pitch, his quality speaks for itself. Some things he does, I’m like, wow—what a player! Scoring my first goal at St. James’ was amazing. Celebrating in front of the fans, you could just see the emotion on their faces. And that celebration with Nick? We started it when he scored, and it’s just stuck.”

Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s head coach, didn’t hold back on his praise for Guimaraes after the final whistle. “Bruno is a very special player, a special person, a special character. He’s got great energy. He played a captain’s role today—this was always going to be a game decided by big moments, and he delivered again. He’s done it so many times. Your big players decide big games, and today, Bruno was the difference for us.”

It’s been almost four years since Guimaraes arrived from Lyon, and in that time, he’s made 182 appearances and scored 29 goals. Newcastle have qualified for the Champions League twice and finally ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy with the Carabao Cup. Guimaraes keeps showing why he’s such a huge part of this team’s recent success.