Newcastle: Tonali 'will benefit' from surprise decision at St James' Park

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·3 October 2023

Newcastle: Tonali 'will benefit' from surprise decision at St James' Park

Highlights

Sandro Tonali's start at Newcastle United has been inconsistent, and there are doubts about his status as an untouchable asset within the club.
Tonali arrived with high expectations, but he has yet to make a significant impact in the Premier League, unlike Bruno Guimaraes, who settled in quickly.
There is a feeling within Newcastle that Tonali could benefit from occasional time out of the starting lineup to learn and develop, given the squad's strength and competition in midfield.

Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has had an up-and-down start since arriving in England, and journalist Dean Jones has shared the feeling from inside the club regarding the Italy international, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

Tonali arrived at St James' Park with plenty of expectation as the Magpies looked to build a side capable of competing in Europe.

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Tonali signed for the North East club during the summer transfer window for a fee of around £55m from AC Milan. Newcastle qualified for the Champions League last season, so adding quality with experience in the competition was vital. The 23-year-old was thrown right in at the deep end at St James' Park and started their opening game of the Premier League campaign, scoring after just six minutes.

As the term has gone on, Tonali hasn't been a guaranteed starter and was on the bench for their last three fixtures in England's top flight. Jones previously told GIVEMESPORT that Tonali is not an untouchable asset at Newcastle and he's going to have to fight for his place in Eddie Howe's side. This may come as a surprise to many Newcastle fans after the expectation they had about him when arrived from the Italian giants, but he is yet to set the world alight since his move to the Premier League.

Bruno Guimaraes went through a similar situation to Tonali in terms of moving from a European club to add some firepower to Newcastle's midfield, but the Brazilian settled in much quicker than Tonali. The former Lyon man has become a key part of Howe's side, whereas Tonali is having to get used to a squad role at St James' Park.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie claimed earlier today that Tonali missed training ahead of their Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, which will be a huge blow for the former Milan midfielder as he looks to find a regular place in the side.

There's a feeling at Newcastle that Tonali might benefit from being out of the team - Dean Jones

Tonali is still young and learning his trade in senior football, so heaping a load of pressure on him to perform in this Newcastle team could have a detrimental impact. With the likes of Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson performing well, there's now less expectation on the shoulders of Tonali.

Jones has suggested that there's a feeling at Newcastle that Tonali could benefit from being out of the team at times. The journalist adds that Newcastle's squad is strong enough to allow Tonali time to learn and develop rather than being a guaranteed starter. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said...

"I think we need to remember, like with Bruno Guimaraes, how he was dealt with when he first came into the club. They didn't rush him in, they wanted him to understand exactly what they were doing and find a way for him to fit in fully when he was completely in that team. And now Tonali has come in slightly differently to that because he did start playing immediately. But the Newcastle squad is strong enough that Tonali doesn't need to be playing every week. And I think that there is a feeling that it would benefit him if he was slightly out of the team at times, just watching from the sideline, so that he can understand the overall picture of how the team works.

Has Tonali been a flop signing for Eddie Howe?

The fee Newcastle paid to bring Tonali to St James' was significant, and it's safe to say the money they forked out hasn't been repaid so far. However, with just seven Premier League games played, it's an almost impossible job for a player to show they are worth the fee in such a short space of time.

It's certainly too early to claim that Tonali has been a flop and he should be judged at the end of the season, but there's no doubt that Newcastle fans will be wanting more from their new signing. However, as long as their impressive results continue, they might not care who is producing the goods, as long as the victories continue.