It could have been one of the twists of deadline day if Arsenal had pulled off the signing of Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali.
The Gunners reportedly made an enquiry about signing the Italian on Monday morning, but those were quickly rebuffed by their Premier League rivals.
In fact, what actually happened, as per The Athletic, was that the Magpies star was offered to the Gunners by his agent. There were no contacts between the two clubs, and nothing was going to materialise before the deadline. However, he has been a player admired by Arsenal for a while.
But why exactly did Mikel Arteta’s side want to sign Tonali before Monday’s deadline?
What Tonali would have brought to Arsenal
It might not have come as too much of a surprise if Arsenal had moved to sign a midfielder. They will be without Mikel Merino, who has suffered a broken foot and will be out for some time, which is far from ideal with his side still in four competitions.
In signing Tonali, the Gunners would have got a Premier League-proven midfielder, very much a plug-and-play type of signing. He is so highly rated that Paul Scholes said earlier in the season that he thinks “he’s better than Declan Rice,” which is big praise indeed.
The 30-cap Italian has been a pivotal part of the Magpies’ midfield this term. He’s featured 35 times across all competitions, forming an excellent pivot alongside Bruno Guimaraes, and performing superbly in domestic football and in the Champions League.
If there is one thing that stands out about Tonali, it is his exceptional work rate. This season, he’s averaging 5.59 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which shows just how hard he works without the ball.
It may have only been a pipe dream, but there is no doubt that signing Tonali would have improved Arsenal’s squad. However, they may have already brought in their own version of the Italian in a recent window.
Arsenal’s in-house Tonali
It is certainly a blow for Arteta to lose Merino at such an important part of the campaign. With captain Martin Odegaard out of form, it leaves a lot of pressure on Rice and his midfield partner to do lots of the heavy lifting.
It is that midfield partner of the England star, Martin Zubimendi, who could be seen as Arsenal’s own Tonali. Since his summer move from Real Sociedad, he’s been crucial at the heart of their midfield, forming a superb partnership with Rice.
This term, the 27-year-old has featured 32 times at the heart of the Gunners’ midfield, scoring five times and assisting three goals. One of his best performances came in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.
Like Tonali, the Spain international is an extremely hard-working midfielder. Again, that is highlighted in the number of ball recoveries he makes each game, which is less than the Magpies’ star, but still impressive, at 3.6.
However, the area of his game that really stands out is in possession of the ball. He plays 55.22 passes and creates 0.67 chances per 90 minutes, impressive when you consider it is from a deeper role.
Zubimendi key stats in 25/26 PL
Stat
Per 90 mins
Season total
Completed passes
55.22
1227
Chances created
0.67
15
Long balls completed
1.93
43
Duels won
4.28
95
Ball recoveries
3.6
80
Stats from Fotmob
Zubimendi has been excellent at the heart of the Arsenal midfield this season. He’s run the show alongside Rice, bringing plenty of energy to the side and quality on the ball, which has helped make Arsenal an even better team in 2025/26.
His midfield colleague thinks particularly highly of him too, with the Gunners’ club record man hailing as “unreal” just a few weeks ago.
However close they came to signing Tonali, it was a shame to miss out on him. Yet, they have Zubimendi in midfield, and he has been vital for the Gunners, so perhaps they didn’t need the Italian after all.
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