At a Glance:
- Arsenal are interested in signing Sandro Tonali this summer.
- Chris Waddle has warned the Gunners why this might not be a good idea.
- Newcastle could demand more than £80 million for the Italian.
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali this summer, although Magpies legend Chris Waddle has issued a warning to Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta about the prospective acquisition.
Despite being embroiled in an intense Premier League title race, the Gunners’ hierarchy are already turning their attention to the summer transfer window. The North Londoners aren’t prepared to rest on their laurels and want to make sure they can sustain their success beyond this season.
Julian Alvarez has been earmarked as a potential marquee addition, while Tonali has been identified as the possible missing piece in the middle of the park.
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Chris Waddle sends Arsenal Sandro Tonali warning
Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi have looked fatigued in recent months. While the absence of both Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino has exacerbated this issue, Arsenal’s double pivot have struggled with the burden of having to play almost every minute.
Christian Norgaard isn’t trusted to play meaningful minutes by Arteta, while Myles Lewis-Skelly is yet to be experimented with in central midfield. Thus, the Gunners are prepared to fork out a significant sum of money to ensure they don’t run into this problem again next season.
Tonali is understood to be at the top of Arsenal’s list, with Newcastle expected to allow either the Italian or Bruno Guimaraes to leave over the summer, if Eddie Howe’s side don’t qualify for the Champions League. The Tynesiders currently sit 12th, seven points off the top five, so this eventuality looks likely.
That said, Waddle, who made 191 appearances for Newcastle between 1980 and 1985, has raised concerns about Arsenal’s pursuit of Tonali. Speaking to FootballTransfers, the pundit claimed that the Italy international won’t add anything different to what the Gunners already have, comparing the player to Rice.
“They’ve got Declan Rice, and they’ve got Martin Zubimendi, who’s a very good player. But Arsenal seem to collect players,” he said.
“He’s [Tonali] had a couple of great seasons, he’s got better this season. He’s a good age, and I’m not surprised there are a lot of clubs interested in him. He’s a very economical player; he’s a little bit like Declan Rice, let’s be honest, he’s very consistent with his pass ratio, he’s got a good shot, and he’s got a good engine.
“In my mind, he’s a very similar player to Declan Rice though. Do Arsenal really need another player like that? I know squads strengthen every year, and that’s how football moves on.
“I can see why Arsenal are interested in him, and I can see why he’s been mentioned and linked with dozens of clubs in the UK and clubs abroad as well.
“I know he’s still got a couple of years on his contract at Newcastle, so if Alexander Isak went for £120 million, they’ve got to be looking at his age, the quality and the consistency he’s shown, and you’ve got to be looking around £80-100 million, haven’t you?”
Is Sandro Tonali similar to Declan Rice?
To the eye, Tonali certainly shares similar traits to Rice. While not on the England international’s level, the former AC Milan midfielder is extremely athletic, excellent at making recovery interventions and is also very competent in possession.
This is reflected in the data, which highlights how the two players are both impressive defensively and functional in possession. Thus, signing Tonali could create some redundancy in Arsenal’s midfield, and could leave Arteta without a different profile of midfielder.
| Statistical Comparison 2025/26 (League Only) | ||
| Stat | Rice | Tonali |
| Appearances | 30 | 29 |
| Pass Accuracy | 87.8% | 84.9% |
| Touches per 90 | 81.02 | 72.09 |
| Duels Won per 90 | 4.21 | 3.96 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.21 | 0.1 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 2.02 | 1.14 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.04 | 1.14 |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.98 | 1.28 |
That said, Rice’s fatigue this season does indicate that Arsenal need the option to play without him. Tonali’s presence in the Gunners’ squad would allow Arteta to rotate his midfield talisman, keeping him fresh for the entire duration of the season.
However, it could be argued that spending in excess of £80 million on a backup to Rice is a poor use of resources. Instead, money could be allocated to improving Arsenal’s attack, which arguably needs a lot of work.
