Former Manchester United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen says Newcastle star Sandro Tonali would be a good signing for the Red Devils
Sandro Tonali recently reaffirmed his commitment to Newcastle United(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Manchester United have been advised on why they ought to contemplate a transfer for Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali. The Red Devils have been persistently linked with recruiting a midfielder over the past 12 months, yet have failed to bolster the centre of the pitch this season.
Four signings were brought into Old Trafford last summer, but the club refrained from entering the market for a midfielder. When January arrived, the Reds opted against strengthening their squad.
Numerous names have already been associated with joining United in the summer, including Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.
Tonali was linked with a switch to Arsenal on deadline day as the Gunners considered a last-minute move following an injury to Mikel Merino, but a deal was never in the offing for the Italy international, who stayed at St. James’ Park.
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Former Red Devils coach Rene Meulensteen, who worked as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, has outlined why Tonali would be a worthwhile option for the Reds to explore to reinforce their midfield,.
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“Sandro Tonali is a good player and he’s done really well for Newcastle,” Meulensteen stated in an interview with BetGoat. “The rumours I heard were that he possibly wanted to go back to Italy, but he’s definitely a good player who understands how to play that role in midfield and he’s a good passer of the ball.
“Man Utd definitely need to look into that position and what they need, I think they could look at Joelinton in that position. He obviously came there as a forward and Eddie Howe has dropped him and turned him into this massive motor in midfield.
“He is a great player that has been learning from Bruno Guimaraes who is a leader, a strong character, a winner.
“Possibly hard to get, but he could all fit the bill in my opinion. Having said that, so does Adam Wharton.
“The boy because he’s so good at playing forward and that is exactly what the forwards would thrive on at Manchester United. Elliot Anderson again, great.
“There are so many, there’s plenty out there, but you wouldn’t want to bring too many in because you don’t want Kobbie Mainoo to end up back on the bench again. He’s proven in those games that Carrick has played him and he has all the right to keep playing and improving because you’ve got an outstanding player there.”
Tonali recently reaffirmed his dedication to Newcastle amidst the speculation, with the midfielder celebrating enthusiastically after netting twice in their FA Cup victory over Aston Villa at the weekend.
Tonali 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 10 or 11 goals – like Bruno (Guimaraes)!
“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.”
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