AGENT GIUSEPPE RISO REVEALS SANDRO TONALI’S DESIRE TO JOIN ARSENAL OR MAN CITY
Sandro Tonali’s agent Giuseppe Riso confirms the midfielder's goal is to join a top club like Arsenal or Manchester City.
Sandro Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, really stirred up talk about the Newcastle midfielder’s future. He’s made it clear Tonali wants to play for Arsenal or Manchester City, and honestly, he’s been aiming for a move to a top Premier League club ever since he landed in Newcastle from AC Milan last year.
Riso gave an open interview to Italian media, turning up the heat on Tonali’s situation just as the midfielder missed Newcastle’s win over Chelsea through illness. That same bug, by the way, has hit Nick Woltemade and Anthony Gordon lately, too. Eddie Howe hopes Tonali’s back for their big Champions League tie against Barcelona midweek, but with Riso’s comments making headlines, you can bet Howe isn’t thrilled.
When Riso was asked about Tonali moving to another club competing for titles like Arsenal or City, he didn’t hide his ambition. “Exactly,” he said. “That’s been the goal since he moved to England to make him a star player. I think he’s one of the most valuable Italian players in the world.”
Riso also talked about Tonali’s prospects at the upcoming World Cup, saying, “I don’t know, but it’s very likely. Everyone’s waiting for the World Cup; then a thousand scenarios will unfold, but everything starts after that.”
Digging into how Tonali ended up at Newcastle, Riso revealed Newcastle’s nearly limitless financial strength made the deal possible. The club picked up Tonali for about £52 million from Milan before news broke about his betting ban. Riso says he had no idea about that issue and adds, “We would have intervened otherwise.”
He thinks the transfer worked out well, though. Riso praised Newcastle and its supporters for welcoming Tonali, calling the response "incredible". He pointed out that Tonali got very different treatment in Italy, but Milan fans, he says, always protected him.
Now, Tonali’s future is anyone’s guess. talkSPORT reports Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Italian clubs are all keeping watch. Newcastle doesn’t have to sell; Tonali’s contract runs until 2029, with an option for another year, and they value him around £80-£100 million. But ideally, they want to hold on to him.
Tonali’s been central for Howe this season, racking up three goals and seven assists in 46 matches across all competitions. If anything does happen, it sounds like a long summer saga is brewing, and plenty of clubs will be ready if Newcastle decides to let him go.
EDDIE HOWE CONFIRMS HE EXPECTS TO REMAIN NEWCASTLE MANAGER NEXT SEASON
Eddie Howe remains defiant about his Newcastle future after "challenging" talks with PIF owners regarding the club's 14th-place slump.
Eddie Howe’s not shying away from the pressure. Even with all the talk about his future at St James’ Park, he’s backing himself to stay on as Newcastle United head coach next season.
What a difference a year makes. A season ago, Newcastle were celebrating an EFL Cup win and a fifth-place league finish. Now, they’re down in 14th, just stumbling through 2026. Cup runs? Both were cut short by Manchester City. The Champions League? An 8-3 thrashing on aggregate against Barcelona in the last 16. In the league, it’s gone from bad to worse: nine losses from the last 12 matches, more than any other Premier League side since January.
European dreams? Barely there. Newcastle are seven points back from Bournemouth, sitting in seventh, with only four games left. Champions League qualification is totally out of reach; they’re a whopping 16 points off fifth.
On Thursday, Howe found himself at Matfen Hall for the club’s big annual summit with Newcastle’s Saudi-backed owners and executives. “Challenging conversations” is how he put it.
Fast forward to Friday’s pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton, and Howe didn’t dodge questions about his future or the club’s direction.
When a reporter asked if he’ll still be the manager next season, Howe shot straight: “Yeah, I presented; we discussed. The questions were tough, but that’s normal. Every year, no matter where we are in the league, there are challenging questions about decisions, about what led us here. You just explain your thinking. Sure, the questions are harder this year with where we are, but the process was the same as always.”
He’s not pretending things haven’t been tough, but he says he’s as driven as ever. “I don’t need to search for clarity about my future. I’m here, I’m working, I’m committed. The club has to feel we’re on the right path, that the feeling inside is positive, and that we fight on all fronts.”
And he gets it: the reality of football management never goes away. “You can say whatever you want, but it’s what the team does on the pitch that matters. I know that. I don’t need reinvigorating; I feel it already. The motivation's there.”
Howe admits that tough runs make you take a good, hard look at everything. “I’m learning more right now than I have in a long time. Sometimes, the hardest moments are when you improve the most.”
Does he expect to be here next season? “I have to keep that confidence. If you lose the long-term vision, what’s the point? But we need to win games. There’s unity at the club, but let's be honest, my job depends on results.”
Howe is also convinced the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle's 85% owners, aren’t losing faith in the mission.
“The ambition hasn’t changed,” he said. “The goal’s still the same: get to the top of the Premier League and win trophies regularly. As long as the PIF is the owner, I don’t see that changing. They’re very ambitious for the club. A lot of things, infrastructure-wise, take time. You can’t just snap your fingers. Everything’s connected to income, and rushing things risks getting it wrong.”
For now, Howe’s staring down the more immediate problem: snapping a four-game winless streak as Newcastle face Brighton this weekend. And he’s just given the latest on top scorer Anthony Gordon’s fitness because that’s what really matters on Saturday.
WHY NEWCASTLE UNITED ARE READY TO CUT LOSSES ON THEIR £55M STAR YOANE WISSA
Newcastle United are planning a major summer overhaul, with Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade both up for sale after struggling.
Newcastle are trying to move on from Yoane Wissa, even though they just splashed £55 million on him less than a year ago. Wissa, 29, joined last September on deadline day, part of the rush to find someone to fill Alexander Isak’s shoes. Nick Woltemade, another big signing, arrived at the same time.
Isak’s transfer got more attention, but Wissa’s story had its drama. He threatened to go on strike at Brentford and left their pre-season camp before Newcastle finally got their man, handing him the iconic No. 9 shirt. Since then, though, it’s just not worked out for either side.
Wissa was injured until December and has managed only three goals so far for Newcastle, far short of the 20 he scored in his last season at Brentford. Lately, he’s slipped down the order under Eddie Howe. William Osula and Woltemade keep getting picked ahead of him; he’s started just once in the last sixteen matches.
The Athletic reports that Wissa wants to stay, but the club is prepared to let him go and absorb the financial hit. If they do manage to sell him, Brentford get 25% of the fee thanks to a sell-on clause.
There’s still a tiny window for Wissa to change things. With four games left and Newcastle stuck in 14th place, maybe he can convince the club to keep him. Earlier in the season, he even skipped the Africa Cup of Nations just to stay fit and fight for his place.
Still, it’s been rough. Even Eddie Howe admitted, “The hardest thing for Yoane is that he wanted to rush back and prove himself, but we haven’t been able to train him properly. It’s been all stop-start. The best is still to come; I think a proper pre-season would really help.”
Fans have to wonder what Wissa’s exit would mean for Woltemade, too. Rumours say he could be leaving soon as well. Newcastle paid up to £69 million for him to fend off Bayern Munich, but nothing is settled yet.
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