Newcastle United hold talks with second midfielder as Sandro Tonali agreement reached

Newcastle United have held further talks with RB Leipzig regarding Dominik Szoboszlai, NewcastleWorld understands.

Magpies head coach Eddie Howe wants to add two “elite” midfielders to his squad this summer, with AC Milan star Sandro Tonali set to be the first player through the St James’ Park door.

Dan Ashworth is currently in Italy negotiating a transfer worth £60million plus adds-on as talks continue over the structure of the deal.

Tonali, who is in action for Italy under-21s against France this evening (kick-off 7:45pm), is understood to have agreed a six-year contract, with the 23-year-old’s reported £6.8m yearly wage set to make him the club’s highest earner.

As Newcastle finalise a deal for Tonali, NewcastleWorld has learned as recently as this week that lines of contact with Leipzig over Szoboszlai remain open.

We understand further talks have taken place but whether that results in an official bid remains to be seen with United also considering a move for Leicester City’s James Maddison.

Szoboszlai has a £61m release clause, which expires on June 30. The Magpies would likely look to negotiate below that figure, if talks do indeed accelerate.

The 22-year-old enjoyed another impressive campaign in the Bundesliga last season - scoring 10 goals in 46 appearances to help Leipzig qualify for the Champions League and lift the German Cup for the second consecutive season.

Szoboszlai was watched by Newcastle scouts last month and he did not disappoint after netting in wins over Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich.

The former RB Salzburg man admitted he was open to a new challenge this summer.

He said: “If there is interest, I will consider it. Not because I don’t have a good time in Leipzig, but because I have always been interested in challenges.

“On one side of the scale is a good Leipzig, with a coach who trusts me and team-mates who accept me and also believe in me. No footballer can wish for more than that, this is quite an exciting situation.

“At the same time, on the other side, there is the question if I can now take a step towards Europe’s top five or six clubs, should I say no to the challenge? I’ve never been that type. I am in a very good position as I can play in a fantastic club. However, I don’t want 15 years from now to look back on my career as if I didn’t get the most out of it.”

While Szoboszlai is younger and a potentially cheaper option in terms of wages, Howe does still retain a strong interest in Maddison after seeing two bids rejected 12 months ago.

After being relegated from the Premier League, Leicester are now prepared to part ways with Maddison, who is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur, but their current stance is they won’t sell below the £50m mark, despite the 26-year-old entering the final year of his contract.

Newcastle, as it stands, believe that fee to be too high.

NewcastleWorld revealed on Wednesday that Maddison has sought advice on the best places to live in Newcastle, as well as asking general questions about the city and the football club itself.

While reports in national media claim Maddison prefers a move to North London, our information does suggest the former Norwich City man is at least open to a move to Tyneside, if a fee can be reached with the Foxes.