10 months, 6 days, 19 hours and 45 minutes. That is how much time had passed since Sandro Tonali, Newcastle United’s headline acquisition of the summer transfer window heading into the 2023/24 season, was last free to lace up his boots and pull on the famous black and white striped shirt.
The Italian midfield man and Newcastle’s number 8 returned to first team duty in Wednesday evening’s League Cup Third round victory over Nottingham Forest — his first appearance since the Italian Football Federation handed down his worldwide ban from competitive football for involvement in illegal gambling activities. He received a tremendous ovation throughout the evening from the travelling away support — from the pre match warm-up, through to his substitution after 61 minutes (for eventual penalty shootout hero Sean Longstaff). During the match, he displayed moments, which reminded everyone watching, of the genuine quality he possesses. He started the attacking move in midfield which led to Newcastle’s goal by Joe Willock, got himself into threatening positions in the opposition’s own third and would have bagged a goal himself if it weren’t for a close range save from Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Carlos Miguel.
Signed for an estimated £55 million pounds from Italian giants AC Milan in July-2023 (source: transfrmkt.com), Tonali’s return this season will be a welcome development for manager Eddie Howe; giving him another option to pick from in his team selection on matchdays. On any given day, a midfield three of Joelinton, Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali looks as good, on paper, as any other midfield three in the Premier League outside of defending champions Manchester City. The issue of which many other supporters and I will be aware, either being at matches or watching from afar, is the small sample size we have of this midfield trio working together has not looked good. It was particularly evident during a three game stretch to open the season against Manchester City, Liverpool and most notably Brighton, where there was a degree of confusion, lack of cohesion with each other and, in Tonali’s case, not being up to speed with the way Eddie Howe requires his midfield unit to get up and down the pitch, pressing the opposition.
In Tonali’s defence, there were various factors at play for his unconvincing start, not just to life as a Newcastle player, but as a Premier League player. This is a young lad in Italy who was not only the driving force in the midfield of his boyhood club AC Milan, but was adored and idolised by the fans, as they went on to win the Scudetto and make a real impression in Europe reaching the UEFA Champions League Semi Finals. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that when he learnt Milan was not just selling him, but to a club in another country, it was an emotional time and a seismic change in his life. Once he made the move to Tyneside, with the emotions of leaving his boyhood club still raw, he was faced with the challenge of adapting to a new country, a different culture, and a language barrier without the support of close family and friends around him. When United visited Milan for the Champions League group stage match at the San Siro stadium, it was clear this was still on his mind as he more or less confirmed to the written media that he did not want to leave Milan in the summer.
Another factor is that the difference in pace, intensity and competition between clubs in the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A is significant. This is particularly true for homegrown players who have only known and played at one standard, not taking into account standards required in European Club or International football, since their development at youth level through to their switch to being a senior professional. Couple this with the requirements Eddie Howe places on all his players, to understand the formations and tactical nuances his teams play with, as well as the fitness levels required to play in his system which deploys a high intensity press on the opposition, it is a lot for an incoming player to adapt to in a matter of months.
Despite his long spell away from the game, one of solitude and a probable temptation to return to his home country, Tonali has faced his adversity head on. He chose to remain in Newcastle during his suspension and demonstrating a desire to learn and adapt to living in his new surroundings, improve his fitness and team play on the training ground with the club coaching and sports science staff, and most importantly receive the necessary help and support for an issue he will likely be battling for the rest of his life. The previous 10 months have been a long road of self-reflection, improvement and redemption for Tonali, and as he embarks on resuming his professional career in a Newcastle shirt. All the steps taken during his time away will not only help build a better life for himself but stand him in good stead for the rest of his career, and in particular his career in English football.
Whilst the return of Tonali in Eddie Howe’s team selection is a welcome one, with many supporters and writers proclaiming it to be like a “new signing” just as the new season is getting started, the weight and significance of his return will only have heightened at a time when the club is facing the final throes of the summer transfer window. Having failed to capture a significant signing to improve the starting eleven, and being forced to sell young prospects has left the squad arguably weaker than one that ended the previous season at Brentford.
The start to the close season started with a tour of Australia which garnered a mixed public reception, and the reluctant sales of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh ahead of the 30th June PSR deadline. There was much disappointment that the club had been forced to sell two promising young players, particularly Minteh, who many thought could have provided Eddie Howe with much needed competition on the right-wing after a promising season on loan at Dutch club Feyenoord. However, that disappointment was countered by a sense of relief that the club had avoided two far worse scenarios. Firstly incurring a points deduction for breach of PSR, or secondly having to sell big names such as Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak or Anthony Gordon — the latter subject to intense speculation of a return to his native Merseyside whilst the European Championships were underway.
Despite coming through a difficult period with the PSR deadline, what was to follow was a great surprise to many as the announcement was made that Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi would step down from their roles on the club’s board. Widely popular among Newcastle supporters worldwide for their patience and persistence in acquiring the club via the PIF consortium, their departures were considered to be much earlier than expected and were greeted with sadness and disappointment. Their departures prompted the club to reshuffle roles in the boardroom with many newcomers also arriving at executive level. Current CEO Darren Eales would take a more hands-on approach in the running of the club, and incoming Sporting Director Paul Mitchell would head up the player recruitment and development team. Since this reshuffle and notable arrivals off the pitch, the close season had continued in a similar vein. Rumours circulated surrounding the stability of Eddie Howe with the working relationship between him and the new Sporting Director under the microscope, and the lack of significant improvements to the first team squad — one notable arrival was defender Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer from Bournemouth.
Assuming that the current status quo remains, with no further acquisitions of note arriving at the club before Friday’s deadline, there are various areas of concern which the club needs to examine and address in order to move forward. First of all, the short-term recruitment strategy where it was apparent that significant resource and time was spent targeting a miniscule pool of players that were ultimately unattainable — the primary target, Marc Guéhi, was the subject of multiple offers over the best part of two months with no alternative targets seemingly considered. Secondly, the club’s ability to trade both in and out of the club, something CEO Darren Eales has emphasised on multiple occasions, needs to improve with a number of fringe players, most notably Issac Hayden and Jamal Lewis, still on the club’s payroll and counting against the club’s head room regarding PSR. Thirdly, internal and external expectations of the club’s ambitions this season should be tempered in the short term. While the nucleus of the Newcastle United squad from their fourth-place finish in 2023 remains intact, several competing Premier League clubs have traded and improved their squads for the current season. Although I’m a strong advocate for squad continuity, a few new signings in key areas would have provided the existing players with fresh impetus, keeping them motivated, striving to improve, and pushing their performances to new heights. The current situation bears a resemblance to the final years of Sir Bobby Robson’s tenure as manager, when the club similarly failed to capitalise on an opportunity by making significant signings that could have made a crucial difference.
Despite the disappointing summer transfer window, all is not lost. The team, as constructed, remain undefeated so far in league and cup competitions. They are an experienced group of players with a lot of talent and unity within the squad. They have demonstrated in previous seasons what they are capable of achieving. With the reintroduction of a refocused and motivated Sandro Tonali, this squad has the potential to prove doubters wrong once again and pose a significant threat to the top teams in the Premier League. If their form and results continue to improve, there will be opportunities to further strengthen the team during the next transfer window in January.
However, what should not be overlooked in recent events are the expectations of those who hold controlling influence at the club. Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan stated in the club’s recent Amazon documentary that he wanted Newcastle United to become ‘the number one club in the world.’ When the PIF consortium took over, the message to fans was clear: a ten-year plan to position the club to win silverware consistently. While it’s fair to argue that recent changes to football governance have not only raised the barrier to competitive balance but also made expectations like those expressed by Al-Rumayyan seem less realistic, the transfer deals completed by clubs with similar ambitions to Newcastle United have only intensified the competition with more clubs competing for a limited number of UEFA Champions League places. The club’s lack of activity in the summer transfer window may give the impression that the club is standing still.
Sandro Tonali’s return in a Newcastle shirt this season is a feel-good story for everyone involved, from his teammates and club staff to the supporters. In our own way, we all feel as if we’ve been on this journey with him. As he embarks on a path of redemption, his influence — dare I hope, akin to that of Eric Cantona in his time — on this team should not be underestimated. It’s appropriate for both those inside and outside the club to celebrate Tonali 2.0 as a new signing. However, this should not blind us to the reality that the lack of activity during the recent close season has fallen short of expectations. While there is every possibility that this season could be a successful one for Tonali and Newcastle, we might also look back at this summer as a missed opportunity that could impact our future ambitions.
My Point of Toon 
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