AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has justified his team’s sale of midfielder Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United, saying that the move “made sense for everyone”.
Tonali, 23, joined AC Milan from Brescia in 2021 as a 20-year-old midfield prospect. He was likened to a number of great Italian midfielders, with his ceiling projected to be as high as Andrea Pirlo’s with the right training.
He helped Milan return to their Scudetto winning ways in his first season and many believed he would be one for the future, especially with many clubs lining up to sign him after just one season with the Rossoneri.
Tonali, however, joined Newcastle United for €70 million to become the most expensive Italian player of all time. He will line up with the Magpies for the 2023/24 season as they attempt to solidify their footing in English and European football, which they will be participating in for the first time in over a decade.
In Italy, meanwhile, Pioli and Milan are still being quizzed over the decision to let the midfielder go. The 57-year-old has come to the defence of the club by stating that it was the best move for everyone regardless of the financial benefit it brought to the seven-time UEFA Champions League winners.
Expressing his disappointment at the player’s exit, Pioli also implied that Tonali is a difficult dressing room character which will keep Magpies fans and dressing room staff on high alert as the midfielder prepares for his first outing with the club.
“It’s a big loss from a technical perspective and he must be replaced properly,” Pioli said in his first media appearance to announce the beginning of Milan’s pre-season. “(But) It was a good opportunity for both parties and him, it was difficult to do something different.”
Meanwhile, a viral clip from Tonali’s first tour of the Newcastle United training facilities which gives credence to Pioli’s implied dressing room issues has got rival fans mocking the Magpies.
In the clip, Tonali and his wife were shown around the Newcastle gym. Mrs Tonali was impressed and mentioned (in Italian) to her husband how much better and bigger she thought the Premier League side’s gym was. He did not give her a moment’s break when he replied that Milan’s gym was better, leading to a flurry of hilarious comments from rival fans.
The player will be presented to the Newcastle fans later this week and will join up with Eddie Howe and the rest of the squad for their pre-season preparations which also start this week.
