Why Newcastle want to sign £44m Tonali replacement alongside Manzambi

One year ago, Newcastle United were still elated from winning the Carabao Cup and securing passage into the Champions League for the second time in three seasons.

Eddie Howe was the man, and maybe he still is, but the English coach has a mountain to climb if he is to put the Magpies back on their perch after an abject 2025/26 campaign; so much went wrong, it almost felt like the Magpies were cursed.

Newcastle plumbed the depths of decline last season, but they are back up from the canvas and working toward a turnaround that would remind the Premier League that this is one of the most exciting projects in the world, that this is a team who are fighting to cement themselves at the top of the division.

We must see significant improvements next term, and Howe will need to find a way to lift Newcastle back up following the £100m sale of Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle want to sign Tonali replacement

Newcastle are hoping to sign a number of centre-midfielders in the summer transfer market. At the top of their shopping list, Johan Manzambi, who is currently dazzling on the international stage with Switzerland.

A formal proposal is anticipated, but Freiburg are going to play hardball, with Manzambi riding the crest of a wave on the biggest stage of them all.

He is a top talent, but it would be unfair to expect the prospect to spotlessly match Tonali in the Premier League from the get-go. The Magpies need to sign a No. 8 alongside the Swiss star.

According to Sport BILD over in Germany, Newcastle have added Stuttgart Angelo Stiller to the shortlist, with the German midfielder considered the ideal candidate to strengthen Howe’s midfield. Fellow German outlet Kicker have already stated that they’ve held talks to sign the player too.

Stiller, aged 25, has grown into one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga over the past couple of years, and would be a shrewd signing as PIF look to find the perfect replacement for Tonali.

Manchester United have also expressed a vested interest in Stiller in recent months, though their interest has cooled as they pursue other targets. The Red Devils were quoted at £44m back in April.

Why Stiller can be a Tonali upgrade at Newcastle

Tonali’s decision to leave for Tottenham is undoubtedly a tough one to take for Newcastle, but he “was average last season“, according to correspondent Luke Edwards, and Stiller could show the Toon faithful an even more impressive gene of midfielder next year.

Stiller’s craftsmanship in the middle of the park is exactly what Newcastle’s midfield needs. Things went a little stale last year, and if Howe can replace Tonali with Stiller, while also welcoming Manzambi to the mix, we could be in for a treat.

Analyst Filipe Sousa has hailed him as “the most underrated centre-midfielder in Europe“, but there’s no question that a move to Newcastle and successful integration to the Premier League would see his stock rise – and then some.

An expert technician with a combative approach to defending, Stiller has the right attributes to succeed at Howe’s Newcastle. Moreover, he could be available for only half of the figure that Newcastle collected when selling Tonali to Spurs.

Stiller was kept on the periphery throughout Germany’s disappointing World Cup campaign, but perhaps Julian Nagelsmann should have given him a closer look. After all, the Germans were poor throughout, exiting meekly to Paraguay in the last 32.

He is more progressive than Tonali, maybe lacking the Italian’s remarkable athleticism and engine, but no doubt bringing a roundedness that could work well alongside the inimitable Bruno Guimaraes.

Interest from the likes of Man United emphasises the level of player that the Magpies could get their hands on, and if they do pull off deals for Stiller and Manzambi this summer, it may well be that Tonali is quickly forgotten for a resurgent Tyneside outfit.