Sandro Tonali’s agent makes fresh Newcastle United transfer claim ahead of £60m move

The agent of Sandro Tonali says only “bureaucratic things” are delaying the midfielder’s £60million move to Newcastle United.

Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth and head of recruitment Steve Nickson were in Milan on Thursday to hold face-to-face talks with AC Milan and Tonali’s representatives.

A meeting was held at the Palazzo Parigi Hotel and a full agreement was reached over the structure of the deal, which includes a Milan sell-on clause of 10 per cent.

Nickson then joined Tonali’s agents Giuseppe Riso and Marianna Mecacci on a flight to Romania on Friday. Tonali is currently based in Cluj-Napoca with Italy under-21s competing at the European Championships.

Tonali has agreed personal terms on a six-year contract worth £6.8m plus bonuses per season and will be unveiled as Newcastle’s first summer signing once the finer details are ironed out.

“Mission accomplished? No, not yet. There’s still a little something to go, a few more days,” revealed Riso, as quoted by Milan News. “There is still a little something missing, bureaucratic things.

“We have the agreement, now the clubs are defining. And once defined in the next few days, he will do the medical tests.

“Yes, six years. I am satisfied because it is a great operation. Sandro will help Milan here too in this operation, in the end it’s a lot of money for Milan too, money also for Brescia because he loves Brescia.”

Riso insists Newcastle wanted to sign Tonali “at all costs”, and denies the player cried at the thought of leaving his boyhood club Milan.

He said: “The boy is very calm and serene, he thinks about the national team and thinks about going ahead with the national team. He is calm, calm because he knows that when such important things arrive from such important properties it is difficult to refuse.

“Newcastle is the perfect project for Tonali. Newcastle wanted Sandro as a key signing at all costs.”

Since joining from Brescia in 2020, Tonali has made 130 appearances, helping Milan win their first Scudetto in 11 years as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2007 last season.