Sandro Tonali Gives Verdict On His Newcastle Contract Situation Amid Exit Rumours

Magpies fans have a clear favourite in Sandro Tonali; however, the Italian magician provided the most honest word about how a player feels regarding his club and the future in it.
IMAGO / Action Plus

After a rocky start with Newcastle United, involved in off-the-pitch issues, Sandro Tonali has claimed the star status he always deserved at St. James Park. However, when it comes to talking about extending his contract, his answer will divide the fans.

Tonali was one of the biggest signings in recent years for Newcastle, considered one of the three biggest splash signings from the Saudi PIF era, alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Aleksander Isak.

Over the summer transfer window in 2023, Newcastle United paid £55 million to AC Milan to sign Tonali. Unfortunately, right after the deal was closed, he ended up being suspended for ten months for gambling issues.

Being left out of his first season in England was a huge blow for Sandro, but he never quit. He was determined to succeed for the Magpies and repay the confidence the team put in him, setting a strong goal for the 2024-2025 season.

Playing over 3,300 minutes in all competitions and contributing with six goals and three assists, Sandro became one of the pillars in a historical season for Newcastle United, ending a 70-year domestic title drought and achieving qualification for the current UEFA Champions League edition.

How does Tonali Feel About a Potential Newcastle Contract Extension?

Newcastle star Sandro Tonali
IMAGO / Sportimage

This season, losing Aleksander Isak to Liverpool came as a big hit to Newcastle’s chances in Europe, but bad news may keep coming for the fans.

When asked by Sky Sports about a possible contract extension and how his time has been as a Newcastle United footballer, the answer Sandro provided might be one of the most honest in many years.

"This is a tough question because, you know, in football you need to think year for year. I don’t want to say I want to stay here 10 years and in two years, three years, four years, five years I will go", Tonali said.

"Every player here… I want to think, just for me, year by year. This is football. Last summer was tough for us, for Alex Isak, but this is football. If you have an option for your life, for another team, you need to think about everything", he added.

Nevertheless, even with those strong words where he does not commit to a long-term new contract with the Magpies, Tonali also showed how he feels right now in the team and if there is any other club that might get him away from St. James Park.

"I don’t want to say: ‘Yes, I want to stay here 10 years’, but now I’m happy here. I don’t think anything about any other team”, he finished.

Answers like this are incredibly refreshing in the modern football era. Nowadays, players only provide generic responses to avoid falling into any trouble or trap set by the media. Sandro might not have provided a clear answer regarding his future with Newcastle, but he certainly showed how honesty, when it is well worded, might be well received by anyone.


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Nazario Assad De Leon
NAZARIO ASSAD DE LEON

Nazario Assad is a Mexican sports writer possessing extensive knowledge of Mexican football and profound expertise in Concacaf and European football. He has over ten years of experience creating content and writing about leagues such as Liga MX, Spain, England, and Italy. Furthermore, his journalistic career includes covering events such as the FIFA World Cup, NFL Super Bowl, Formula 1, and PGA Golf.