Sandro Tonali is a statement signing; a statement delivered in a whisper. “He’s quiet, really quiet,” Dan Burn says, and on Newcastle United’s pre-season tour to the United States, you see him on the edges, a step reserved, not fully part of conversations. Yet this was a deal that made noise, an Italy international, fresh from the Champions League semi-final, €70million (£60m; $78m), his best years rippling ahead of him. It screams of arrival.
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There are echoes of Kieran Trippier’s transfer from Atletico Madrid in January 2022, with a few subtle differences. Trippier was an England player, a winner of La Liga and he set a tone for Newcastle following their takeover, majority funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. There was also a big dollop of belief given Eddie Howe’s team were flailing in the Premier League. Trippier has been the standard bearer of the team’s remarkable recovery and rise.
Tonali is not that. He does not join a club offering a journey because, to a large extent, they are already there. He was not part of those famous post-match dressing-room photos, each taken when Newcastle won a match which, back in the early days, was the purest novelty. Tonali is a winner who joins other winners, preparing for their first Champions League campaign for 20 years and fully anticipating more. For supporters, Trippier brought romance and hope. Tonali represents serious business.
A (massively edited) version of that point was put to Howe before Newcastle’s friendly match against Chelsea at Atlanta’s magnificent Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The head coach wasn’t fully buying into it. “That word ‘statement’ is used a lot about new signings,” he told The Athletic. ‘Oh, he’s a statement signing’, that kind of thing. For me, we’re not trying to do that, we just want to bring really good players to the club who can take the team onto another level.”
He warmed to the theme, though (and everything is warm in this city, including the rain). “Going back to Kieran’s situation, his was a massive leap of faith in us and in me. It spoke volumes about his character that he was prepared to take on a challenge like that, with a team in the relegation zone and no way out of the club. If we’d gone into the Championship, Kieran would have stayed and tried to get us out of it.
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“That was an amazing thing and I’m so pleased for Kieran that he’s now had the benefit of that trust, the fact the team has done well and he’s done well in the team. Sandro is just another player who can elevate us. Without wanting to put too much pressure on him, we think he’s a top player and we certainly look forward to seeing him in the Premier League. I know he’ll be a big success.”
Trippier is a cornerstone of Newcastle’s dressing-room leadership group; he made a point of seeking out Tonali and Juliette Pastore, his partner, when he signed at the start of the month, offering assistance. “I know how hard it is to come to a different country,” Trippier said. “I experienced it in Spain and it was difficult. It’s important Sandro’s family is here to help him settle and that’ll help him perform at the highest level. Every player who comes in here has to feel valued.”
Tripps. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/XXWc9tR8Bd
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 7, 2023
These are the earliest moments. The midfielder was excellent on his debut against Rangers, when fans sang: “He drinks Moretti, he eats spaghetti, he hates Sunderland.” After that game, Howe responded with irritation to a rumour that the 23-year-old had been forced out of his boyhood club, describing it as “totally misguided. Sandro is very proud to be here”. There was a less effective half against Aston Villa in Philadelphia, when Newcastle’s midfield was overrun.
Against Chelsea, who sniffed around him before Newcastle pounced, Tonali was stationed to the right of 17-year-old Lewis Miley (whose composure grows with every match). There was movement, energy, small steps into space, short and simple passes and gear changes up the pitch. He was not afraid to exert himself, asking for the ball, ushering for calm when Chelsea took the lead. It wasn’t dominant, but he doesn’t need to be just yet and Newcastle under Howe are detailed, specific, precise. Tonali must assimilate within the unit.
“Sandro will probably have experienced something different in the last two games: higher intensity, higher quality of opposition,” Howe said after Newcastle’s 1-1 draw. “There’s no guarantee for any player they will play. I have to pick a team to win, that’s the most important thing in my mind. It’s never based on how much transfer fees are. I’ve proved that previously. It’s always about who is in the best condition, mentally and physically, to help us to win.”
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What about his demeanour, that flicker of reticence, the reluctance to go full-beam? “Everyone is different,” Howe said. “(Miguel Almiron) is always smiling. From what I’ve seen of Sandro and what I know of him, he’s happy inside. People probably accused me of something similar — I can guarantee I’m happy but sometimes I don’t show it. He’s been really, really good. He greets me with a smile every morning and he’s built some good friendships already. I’ve got no concerns about his happiness.”
What a nice moment for Miguel Almiron and this fantastic Atlanta crowd. Scores for Newcastle, celebrates with his team, then swivels, raises his arms and taps his heart – a belated goodbye. #NUFC pic.twitter.com/uv0niLlB7m
— George Caulkin (@GeorgeCaulkin) July 27, 2023
At a community event on Tuesday, he watched on as local kids honed their moves beneath a railway line. Soccer in the Streets is part of Darren Eales’ legacy here; the Newcastle chief executive was previously president of Atlanta United and this network of mini pitches at MARTA transit stations provides safe, affordable spaces for children to play and compete against other station teams by travelling on public transport. It is a smart initiative.
There was a Q&A with the young players and Tonali hung back. Almiron, a former Atlanta player and a hero here, draped an arm around his shoulders. Behind his left bicep, you could see a tattoo sneaking out of his training top that spells out “Nonna” — grandma. He was asked about his favourite player and name-checked Andrea Pirlo, someone he was (unfairly) compared with early in his career. He was asked about his favourite team and paused for a second or two. “Newcastle,” he said.
“This trip will really help him settle in with the group,” Howe said. “You get to spend all your free time with your team-mates; there’s no better way to get to know them and feel acclimatised to the team than actually spending time with them. And the same goes on the pitch, so when you play a game suddenly the dynamic of you and your team-mates changes. This is all an important part of his process in learning how to play for Newcastle.”
They are still feeling each other out, tip-toeing around. “I can’t tell you what he’s like, not yet,” Burn said. “I’m just being honest with you; we haven’t spent enough time together.” And it must be difficult for Tonali when Newcastle’s identity is so entrenched. “You don’t just step into a team like ours,” said Burn. “I’m not saying we’re amazing or anything, but we’re very specific in what’s needed and what the manager wants from you. It takes time to learn.” The same went for Anthony Gordon last season.
Shay Given, the former Newcastle and Ireland goalkeeper, has been working as a club ambassador in the United States, attending fan events, regaling them with stories about the Sir Bobby Robson era and the sourness of playing under Mike Ashley’s ownership. He is staying in the team hotel, mingling with players and staff on the training ground. “I had a bit of lunch with Sandro and Tripps and a few others yesterday and just asked him about his English.
“I’m not saying it was brilliant, but I was surprised with how good it was; I’m not sure how proficient my Italian would be after a couple of weeks over there. He’s having a couple of lessons here but he told me that once he gets back home to Tyneside it’ll be lessons every day. He strikes me as a very intelligent guy. He’s certainly a very intelligent footballer.”
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This is where volume becomes relevant. This is where Tonali will be as loud as they come. He has been there and done it, pushing AC Milan to the Serie A title; some Newcastle players have already been lifted again and again by Howe, but Tonali’s experience and quality will ensure more of it. “Just watching him in training over here, he makes the game look so easy – he’s a yard ahead of people in his head,” Given said. “He sees things other people don’t see. He is pure quality.”
🗣 "We think he's OK. He's saying he's got a tightness in his hamstring – he doesn't think he's pulled any muscle."
An update from Eddie Howe on Fabian Schär after the defender was forced off during our 1-1 draw against Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/li0wDd2GI5
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 27, 2023
“It’s like a mentality coming though,” Burn said. “It’s some statement when you think we’re bringing in someone who played for AC Milan in the Champions League last season and he’s stepping into a team built from players who’ve grown with the club. A couple of years ago, we couldn’t have dreamt of a signing like him. He’s a sign of where we are and what we want to become.”
“Newcastle is such an ambitious club and Sandro shows that ambition,” Harvey Barnes, Howe’s second senior signing of the close season, said. “He shows they’re not happy with where they finished last year, they want to keep improving. It shows the direction the club wants to go in. That was a big reason I was so determined to come here.”
Barnes scored 13 times for Leicester City last season and he spoke as if famished. “He looks great on the ball,” he said. “He looks creative on the ball. If you’re making the runs, he’ll get you in. He will be a joy to play with.”
Others are prepared to embrace the “statement” thing, even if Howe isn’t. “I watched a lot of Sandro when he was in Milan and I think it’s a big statement when you reach the Champions League and can attract this level of player,” the defender Emil Krafth said. “That’s the case with him.”
Trippier was asked if he had seen a different side to Tonali, away from the quietness.
“Not yet, but it’s early days,” the right-back said. “Sandro speaks for himself as a player. I’ve played against him a few times for Atletico and for England and we’ve bought a top-quality player who can help move us forward. Behind the scenes, he interacts. He’s not been here long and his English is getting better, but it’ll take him a bit of time. On the pitch, his football does the talking.”
(Top photo: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images for Premier League)
