Sandro Tonali

[KaKa]

3 minutes ago, black_n_white said:

With Tonali and Gordon leaving we’ll be in a strong position to repay what we spent last summer.

 

Ironically, we'll also be in position to end up a better team with some half decent recruitment.

 

These two have been carried for over a year now, which is pretty crazy, having failed to deliver at a level the team needed them to.

[St1pe]

Another potential plus is that given they’ve gone so publicly for Tonali and released it’s De Zerbi leading if they’re really going to have to cough up for him. We could really rinse this lot. 

[Optimistic Nut]

2 hours ago, Keggy_Keagal said:

If he's genuinely wanting to go to Spurs that would make me question his ambitions as a player. We also shouldn't be losing top talent (although I think he's a little overrated) to clubs below us. 

 

They've got the PSR means to sign another 4-5 Tonalis this summer. Surely with no Europe they're not going to have the same injury issues as last season? They're going to be a nuisance and around top 5 again next season unfortunately. 

[Mike]

Villa had one job.

[Kid Icarus]

13 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

Time to accept we are firmly in the stepping stone club category now. We're never going to be allowed to challenge for the top, so let's stop this 2030 nonsense and just accept we are part of the larger middle group of clubs in the PL.

The venn diagram of the people who would agree with this dour assessment of our lot in life, and the people who would complain endlessly about that being our lot in life is just a circle. 

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by Kid Icarus

[JoeyBartoon]

Not a chance we should be selling to a direct rival or anything less than 90m. It shouldn’t be up for discussion tbh 

[Kimbo]

6 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Ironically, we'll also be in position to end up a better team with some half decent recruitment.

 

These two have been carried for over a year now, which is pretty crazy, having failed to deliver at a level the team needed them to.

Tbh if we get £90m or so for Tonali and Willock, it shouldn’t be beyond us to come out of it with a stronger group of midfielders. 

[ElDiablo]

Not to say he wouldn't be good for them, but attribute wise I don't see him adding much to their side. They've already got Sarr and Bentancur who are quite similar.

 

Either way, selling without a replacement through the door is always nerve racking after last summer's scramble.

[GEFAFWISP]

Like Isak, one more season would've been preferred but he's had 12-15 months of strong performance and the rest has been middling to banned, contributed to the cup win and some top quality games but he'll not live long in the memory if he leaves this summer.

 

Let's see who Andy Howe has pegged for his replacement and why is it Dwight McNeil for £50 million.

[Dubrovnik Dubravka]

Selling Tonali is fine, on its own. Banned for year one, great for year two, poor for year three.... if that fetches £100m, yeah ok.

 

But Spurs?  That's embarrassing.

 

If he want this, it says a lot about the guy. No ambition whatsoever.

[NUFC91]

14 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

Time to accept we are firmly in the stepping stone club category now. We're never going to be allowed to challenge for the top, so let's stop this 2030 nonsense and just accept we are part of the larger middle group of clubs in the PL.

 

I don't think it's just that, the London pull is massive, also as much as people don't like to admit it I'd argue outside of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the Manc Clubs they are the next club with the biggest move for a lot of players.

[sanyi75]

19 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

Time to accept we are firmly in the stepping stone club category now. We're never going to be allowed to challenge for the top, so let's stop this 2030 nonsense and just accept we are part of the larger middle group of clubs in the PL.

If we had spent that much money wisely, we would be back in the CL and in a much better position on the player market, if we are not stable in the places that deserve European participation, then unfortunately what you wrote will happen. We took one step forward and then two steps back. Now we have to start moving forward again, because if not, big changes will be needed.

[Mr Misery]

Spurs.

Back to the 80s and 90s then is it?

What's the fucking point.

[TheBrownBottle]

17 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

Time to accept we are firmly in the stepping stone club category now. We're never going to be allowed to challenge for the top, so let's stop this 2030 nonsense and just accept we are part of the larger middle group of clubs in the PL.

We’re not that though - we’re in an odd category with Villa.  We can compete but we need to ‘box clever’ - we don’t have room for many mistakes.  Our income and size makes us far bigger and more attractive than the middle group of clubs. 

[Mole]

So what's the jist of this? They made an offer or? I missed pretty much all of the updates and genuinely can't tell what the status is tbh

[Wallsendmag]

2 hours ago, Ankles Bennett said:

What a load of rubbish.  Tonali is a world class player!!  Why do people think he is wanted by the likes of 

Arsenal and Manu and even if we made him available I have no doubt the likes of Real Madrid and Barca would join the race for him.  If he was easily replaceable why aren't his admirers chasing these  replacement players rather than shelling out the neck end of £100m?

 

 

 

I disagree. He's a very good player but not in the "World class" bracket. That's the very top echelon players and that isn't him. People throw around the World Class description too easily these days.

[Johny4317]

I believe the Tonali replacement is already at the club and signed a new deal recently!

Willock will be moved and and replaced with a different type of player (Camara maybe) but I don’t think they’ll bring 2 CM’s in! 
 

The Gordon sale set the tone, but as what normally happens with a 1 out 1 in strategy, it’s not always the ones out that happens 

[sanyi75]

5 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

We’re not that though - we’re in an odd category with Villa.  We can compete but we need to ‘box clever’ - we don’t have room for many mistakes.  Our income and size makes us far bigger and more attractive than the middle group of clubs. 

The situation is really similar to Villa. They are one step ahead of us now, although the value of the player base is slightly less than ours, but they are starting in the CL, and if they manage to strengthen their squad well, they can be in the top 6 again. We have to do very well now, we can't make the same mistakes as last season.

[mosstef]

2024/25 Tonali is easily worth 80 million. 2025/26 Tonali not so much.

[Ikon]

Personally I’d be bringing in a CM/DM hybrid leaning more towards DM like Camara. Technical ability is a must. I’d also be looking at someone in the mould of Maza. Someone to play between the lines with high technical ability (at least what I’d like).

 

Add these two along with Bruno, Miley and Big Joe and CM is looking very good with a bit of variation in it. 

[Mr Misery]

Miley does not have Tonali's athleticism. Depends on how the squad develops I suppose.

[TBG]

You know who would and has turned down Tottenham for us? That's right, Wissa. 

[Steve Charlton]

Hope we get replacements in before we start flogging key players

[Deuce]

Think he’s been criminally underrated by many of you. He had a down year, but who didn’t? There was a time in the not-so-distant-past when we were talking about him being one of the best midfielders in the world. He’d be a massive loss to the side and extremely difficult to replace in the short term.

[sanyi75]

10 minutes ago, mosstef said:

2024/25 Tonali is easily worth 80 million. 2025/26 Tonali not so much.

Unfortunately, this is true for the whole team, we were not at the level of the 24/25 season. There were a lot of mistakes, both in defense and offense. I hope a better season is coming.