NEWCASTLE supporters want Sandro Tonali on every set-piece after his brilliant assist and display for Italy’s U21 side last night.
Eddie Howe’s side have been chasing the 23-year-old Italian international over the past few days.
GettySandro Tonali shone for Italy U21s ahead of his transfer to Newcastle[/caption]
They had an initial £43m bid rejected by Milan for the defensive midfielder.
We then reported yesterday that he has agreed a six-year package with Newcastle worth £8m annually.
All that remains to be sorted in the fee with the Magpies having an offer of £60m with a further £4.3m in add-ons rejected.
However, Milan are demanding another £4.3m on top of that, which could take the deal up to £69m in total.
Now Toon chiefs are thrashing it out with their Milan counterparts in order to finalise the stunning transfer move.
But Newcastle fans got a glimpse of what Tonali can bring on THursday as he pulled the strings for his country in their U21 Euro opener against France.
He caused numerous problems for Les Bleus with his range of set-pieces all night, and it was his pinpoint curling free-kick that found the head of Pietro Pellegri to finish and make it 1-1.
France would eventually run out 2-1 winners but the Toon Army could not contain their excitement over the incoming ace.
“Oh my god. Get Tonali on our set pieces now. Wow,” read one tweet.
Another wrote: “Tonali has just bagged an assist against france u21 a lovely assist from a free kick.”
“Tonali can half take a set piece,” said another, while a fellow fan tweeted: “Sandro Tonali your set pieces are impeccable.”
Tonali came through the ranks with Brescia and broke into their first-team as a teenager as they won Serie B in 2019.
The ace continued to shine in the top-flight before Milan swooped to sign him initially on loan in the 2020/21 campaign.
That move was made permanent at the end of that season and he has made over 100 appearances for the club since, helping them to Serie A title success 12 months ago.
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