Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has spoken out on claims about his relationship with Eddie Howe following Arsenal transfer speculation and his FA Cup exploits
Sandro Tonali was the FA Cup hero for Newcastle on Saturday.(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Image)
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has broken his silence following the closure of the transfer window, pledging his loyalty to both the club and manager Eddie Howe. There had been claims that the midfielder had fallen out with his boss, but Tonali emphatically put that rumour to bed.
The Italian’s future became the subject of intense speculation once more after a deadline day revelation which linked the player with Arsenal.
Whilst both the Gunners and Newcastle maintained there was no substance to the claims, it transpired that an intermediary had presented Tonali to the North London outfit. Tonali’s representative emerged to clarify it wasn’t him, yet failed to dampen the rumours by stating he would hold discussions about the player’s future with the Magpies’ hierarchy at the season’s end.
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OPINION
John Cross
Tonali’s performances over recent months have declined worryingly, with the midfielder unable to replicate the standards he set last campaign.
Nevertheless, he rediscovered his best form with a superb display against Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday, netting twice to spark his side’s comeback victory, which secures their place in the fifth round of the tournament.
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Tonali marked both goals enthusiastically with the travelling Toon Army and also sprinted towards Howe to leap into his embrace following the second strike. And now, he has explained his motivations, revealing that he wished to demonstrate that his bond with his manager remains solid despite the speculation.
He said: “The first one, this celebration was, I think, seven months without scoring; if you don’t score for seven months, after the first goal, you celebrate for ten or 11 goals – like Bruno (Guimarães)!
“But after the second goal, I came to Eddie (Howe) because in the past few weeks, people spoke about our relationship, but I work every day with the gaffer, the gaffer works every day with me, and our relationship is perfect.
“It’s not broken and I think this is perfect for the team.
“We try to do the best for this team, every game, because we play a lot of games – every three days, we play, and we have to be concentrated every time in the training ground to do the best for our team.”
Tonali admitted he’s endured a sluggish start to the campaign but is hopeful the Villa triumph can spark his own resurgence whilst providing the squad with a vital morale lift.
Newcastle have now secured consecutive victories on their travels as they prepare for another challenging away fixture, heading to Azerbaijan to take on Qarabag in the FA Cup.
He said: “It’s important for the team, because it’s the second win in a row away, and for me it’s important because it’s the first two goals in my season.
“I’ve started a little bit late, but every time when you score, your game and your day is different!”.
“I’ve tried to score for the last two months a little bit more – but the first most important thing always is the team.
“I’m happy especially for Nick (Woltemade). He played as a midfielder and he played very well and he scored the last goal. And I’m happy for for every player, for every member of staff, for all the fans.
“Today was an amazing game; we played very well. This game is so important because we have one dream: to come back to Wembley.”
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