Newcastle United have been strongly linked with a move for Sandro Tonali this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.
What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Sandro Tonali?
According to The Athletic, Newcastle are closing in on a move for the Italian midfielder.
The report suggests that a fee in the region of €70m (£60m) has been agreed after face-to-face meetings took place on Wednesday.
He has emerged as a key target in the early stages of this window with Craig Hope later revealing that Dan Ashworth boarded a plane today in order to fly out to Milan to conclude a deal.
Would Tonali be a good fit for Newcastle?
It is no secret that Bruno Guimaraes' attacking talent has been sacrificed to an extent this season due to the departure of Jonjo Shelvey in January, meaning the Brazilian star has needed to adopt a much more defensive role in the midfield set-up.
Indeed, the Newcastle talisman has done a fine job in the lone deep-lying role just ahead of the back-line, notably contributing to ten goals last term. As such, it would be advantageous to Howe next season if he could unlock Guimaraes and allow him to return to his more free-flowing role where he thrived expeditiously in his first six months at St James'.
As a result, Tonali could be a huge asset in the competitive midfield when they take on multiple competitions next season in their pursuit of success and trophies, as he could be the ideal profile player to partner Guimaraes in the centre of the pitch.
Over 34 Serie A appearances, the 23-year-old talent – hailed "world-class" by the Athletic's Martino Puccio – registered seven assists, created 12 big chances and tallied up an 81% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 1.9 tackles, 1.8 key passes and 3.5 duels won per game, operating as a prolific ball-winner with strong play-making and progressive capabilities too.
Not only that, the Italian ranks in the top 14% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for chance creation – according to Opta Analyst Radar – again demonstrating that Tonali could work well alongside Guimaraes to deliver strong attacking opportunities for Newcastle's front-men.
The news of the Magpies' bid for the Champions League semi-finalist led football analyst and writer Connor Holden to speculate about a potential midfield partnership between the two, suggesting the Toon were looking for an "elite partner" for Guimaraes.
With that being said, a move for Tonali is definitely a big coup as he could be an ideal like-minded companion for their Brazilian dynamo in the heart of the team.