Athleticissa hyvä pätkä Newcastlen hankintapolitiikasta ja Tonalista jne.
“There’s a strategy in place,” the senior figure says. “It’s not random. We will go for big players but the price has to make sense and it’s all about what our needs are. At no point do we have the intention of making a statement signing. The intention is to get the right player, the right character, the right position, the right fit. Sandro is a marquee addition, yes, but what’s important is these guys believe in our story and what we’re offering them — the opportunity for greatness.”
A case in point: Declan Rice. While Howe and Newcastle are full of admiration for the England midfielder, who is joining Arsenal from West Ham United, they are not yet at the stage where they can pay £100million-plus and a weekly wage of more than £200,000 for a single player, who wants “all the bells and whistles”. Their approach from day one has been to develop and grow, develop and grow.
The hope is that Tonali can be “as good as Rice, maybe better, but “we’d rather do it this way. We want to be No 1, but in the right way; smart, sustainable, different to everyone else. We’re not spending Manchester United, Manchester City or Arsenal money. It’s smart for us and it’s good for him as well. These boys are coming to us to be part of history.”
Sandro Tonali wants to win trophies with Newcastle United - this is the story of the deal that broke hearts in Italy and delighted Tyneside
theathletic.com