Newcastle line up move to sign the “strongest DM in the world”

Newcastle United have fallen into the depths of mid-table in the Premier League, and the glory days of Eddie Howe‘s reign feel like a long and distant memory at the moment.

The title-winning manager would assert that he holds the key to resurgence, but after four straight defeats in the top flight, supporters are frustrated, and Howe’s future is anything but set in stone as the end-of-season review beckons.

Changes are on the cards, for sure. Anthony Gordon is growing increasingly likely to leave St. James’ Park this summer, as per The Athletic, and United are going to need a range of signings across severa departments.

Gordon and Howe aren’t the only ones who may pack their bags this summer, though, with Sandro Tonali‘s

How Newcastle plan on replacing Tonali

Manchester United appear to have cooled their interest in Tonali, perhaps because the Magpies have maintained that the Italian’s departure would come at a significant financial cost this summer.

Tonali’s agent has tried to drum up interest in his client for a while now, but the truth is that Tonali’s departure feels plausible, and it’s something that PIF need to prepare for.

If the maestro leaves, Newcastle will need a high-level replacement, and they may already have found one.

According to iNews, Newcastle are interested in signing Atalanta midfilder Ederson, with the 26-year-old nearing the end of his penultimate year in Lombardy.

Among Newcastle’s priorities this year is signing a new specialist defensive midfielder, and Ederson could be the dream addition in that regard, seemingly affordable while bringing a combative, technical style.

Elliot Anderson is also on the Tynesiders’ shortlist, but their former youth star is being chased by the Premier League’s Manchester giants, and the finances involved will make bringing him home very difficult.

Why Ederson could be the new Tonali

Italian content creator Damiano Coccia has described Ederson as “the strongest defensive midfielder in the world“. This tough-tackling anchor could be perfect for a Newcastle side who need stability and dynamism in the centre of the park.

They do have Tonali, but if he goes Ederson could replicate the Italy man’s style. More crunching in the challenge, Ederson lacks Tonali’s innate elegance on the ball, but that’s certainly not to say that he can’t hold his own as a playmaker, with former England boss Fabio Capello chipping in to say, “He is out of this world for his ability to combine running, physicality, technique and intelligence.”

The key takeaway, though, is that Ederson could complement Bruno Guimaraes perfectly in the middle of the park, a countrpoint to his Brazilian teammate’s talismanic, all-action approach.

Of course, that’s not to say that Ederson isn’t capable of launching strikes into the danger area, of popping up with big moments in attacking moments.

But defending is his bread and butter, all the while keeping things ticking. In that, he would be Bruno’s perfect foil, maybe even combining more fluidly with the skipper than Tonali has. The Italian, after all, would stake his claim as the focal point in midfield. Perhaps that has inhibited Newcastle’s wider fluency in midfield?

Tonali’s energy and athleticism are among his most underrated attributes as an elite Premier League midfielder. Ederson matches him in that, averaging 4.4 ball recoveries per Serie A game this season while completing 56% of his dribbles.

Nobody of a Newcastle persuasion wants to see Tonali leave this summer, but if it comes down to it, PIF would be much better off avoiding a repeat of last summer’s frantic, disorganised window.

Ederson would dovetail right into the system, Howe’s or whoever else is picked to lead this talented group next year.