Man Utd draw up sensational £85m bid for elite Newcastle star

James Holland 10 May 2025 2:52 PM

Man Utd duo Ruben Amorim and Christopher Vivell

Manchester United have ambitious plans to sign Sandro Tonali this summer and are battling a European giant for the Newcastle United star, according to a report.

Newcastle made a big statement when they paid AC Milan £55million to sign Tonali in July 2023. The move was viewed as a travesty by some sections of the Italian media as it saw another hugely talented player leave Serie A due to other leagues’ superior finances.

Tonali had a rocky start to life at Newcastle as he was limited to just 12 appearances in his debut season due to a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.

The Italy international returned to action in August though and has proven his worth for Newcastle this term.

He has been one of Newcastle’s best performers in a season where they ended the club’s 56-year trophy drought by beating Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley.

Tonali has chipped in with five goals and three assists in 42 appearances across all competitions, with Newcastle also eyeing Champions League qualification via a top-five finish in the Premier League.

But Tonali’s spell at St James’ could be short-lived if the latest speculation is anything to go by. Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport claim Premier League rivals Man Utd are planning an extraordinary move to try and land him this summer.

It is suggested that Ruben Amorim’s side are the ‘big new contenders’ for Tonali, with their head of recruitment Christopher Vivell having joined Juventus in the pursuit of his signature.

Man Utd winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League would give them extra money to spend, and they aim to use these funds by submitting a huge €100million (£85m / $113m) offer for Tonali.

Juve, meanwhile, have been tracking the 25-year-old for months and are hoping to convince him to return to Italy.

Man Utd and Juve are not the only clubs who have been impressed by Tonali’s classy displays, as Real Madrid have also been linked with a swoop for him previously.

DON’T MISS 👇

Man Utd to sign THREE attackers with choice between Semenyo and Mbeumo made

Sandro Tonali to Man Utd would be shock deal

Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Man Utd are indeed aiming to sign a new midfielder this summer, despite all the talk being about their striker targets. However, it will be incredibly tough for the Red Devils to convince Tonali to move to Old Trafford ahead of next season.

While Newcastle have lifted silverware and are in a good position to make the top five, Man Utd have had a disastrous league campaign and sit way down in 15th place. The only way Man Utd can rescue their season is by beating Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

Newcastle are hoping to become one of the truly elite clubs in England and Tonali will surely want to be part of that journey.

Plus, the Magpies will do all they can to prevent the 23-cap international from leaving for a direct competitor. They are protected by his contract – which runs until June 2028 – and are likely to demand far more than £85m before selling.

PSR restrictions on other clubs puts Newcastle in a strong position. They have held out for more than £120m before letting Alexander Isak leave, and this has forced the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool to move onto different striker targets.

Man Utd may hold admiration for Tonali, but they will surely have to turn their attention to more gettable midfield solutions.