Newcastle United supporters always suspected that Sandro Tonali was reluctant to join the club.
Sandro Tonali’s agent has blurted the quiet part out loud. Newcastle United fans always suspected he never wanted to join the club in the first place.
Conspiracy theories arose when the Italian was given a 10-month ban just 12 games into his Toon career. Was his Milan exit forced? How much did both parties know? Those claims have never been verified but certainly fuelled the underlying sense that Tonali’s heart lay away from Tyneside.
Beppe Riso – Tonali’s long-term representative – also loved adding fuel to the fire. He regularly floated the idea of a St James’ Park exit last season, with a move to Arsenal or Manchester City preferred.
Ultimately, Tonali joined Tottenham Hotspur – who sit bottom of the Premier League after five games. Toon chiefs banked £100million for a midfielder who failed to score a top-flight goal in 2025-26.
His agent has now let slip Tonali’s true sentiment during those early Newcastle days. Speaking to the Colpi de Maestro podcast, Tonali’s agent confirmed that he struggled when leaving AC Milan for Newcastle.
“We made the first step because we realised that Milan were becoming different,” he said. “I know Milan well, and this was not giving the same sensations as that historic club.
“Talking to Sandro, we considered that going to the Premier League was a fascinating challenge. He had courage to go, because he was one of the most important players in the Scudetto-winning side, but he was a visionary. It was very difficult for him, in the first few weeks he was sad, but he got a handle on things and made his mark, as always.
“It was a crazy move for the numbers, but also for the responsibility. When you talk to Sandro and explain your vision, you take responsibility. It was complicated during those first few weeks when I saw how sad he was, but after a while he got used to it and it proved to be the right choice.”
A heartfelt message was posted on social media after he joined Spurs. But fans let Tonali know that the feeling was not mutual less than two months later.
The boo boys were out in force as Newcastle coasted to a 2-0 win in the capital. As he trudged off the pitch midway through the second half, the away end jeered, leaving Tonali to question his transfer call.
The reality is that he wanted to return to Italy. He irked Spurs on arrival by declaring that as his preference. It proved to not be financially viable, with London now the stopgap destination in his dwindling career.
As for Newcastle, everyone at St James’ Park can breathe a sigh of relief. After three years of stirring the pot, there will be more speculation. No more questions about whether Tonali wants to return to Italy. No more wondering whether his heart lies.
He is Tottenham’s problem now. Good riddance. And thank you for the £100million.
