Newcastle have been told that Man United would ‘immediately’ accept a £35m bid from the Magpies for one of Michael Carrick’s stars.
Newcastle set for pivotal summer with Sandro Tonali tipped to leave
The Magpies’ summer planning is already starting to take shape, with midfield reinforcement high on the agenda as the club look to put a disappointing Premier League campaign behind them.
Attention has increasingly turned towards adding energy and control in the centre of the pitch, particularly with uncertainty surrounding a few existing squad roles.
One name that has consistently been linked with top-level moves is Sandro Tonali.
The Italian midfielder remains a player admired across Europe, and Man United are believed to have kept close tabs on his situation despite his importance in the current squad.
There is a growing feeling that if the right opportunity came along, Tonali would leave St. James’ Park this summer, with the 25-year-old’s agent having already offered him to Arsenal in January.
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The pundit predicts big things.
Now, according to SportsBoom, Newcastle could even see Tonali go to Old Trafford with Manuel Ugarte coming the other way.
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Indeed, the outlet suggests United would accept a £35m offer from Newcastle “immediately” for the Uruguay international, underlining just how open the door is to a potential exit this summer.
The situation has alerted a number of clubs, with Newcastle among those keeping a close watch on developments alongside Juventus, Napoli, AC Milan and Aston Villa.
Ugarte only arrived at United in 2024, but his time in England has not gone as planned.
Struggles for consistency and regular starts have led to growing doubts about his long-term role in the squad, with the club now actively assessing midfield changes ahead of a rebuild.
For Newcastle, the attraction is clear.
Ugarte offers a different profile to what they currently have in midfield, like more defensive discipline, aggressive ball-winning and the ability to sit deeper to protect the back line.
At £35m, he could also be seen as a market opportunity rather than a marquee gamble, especially given his age and prior reputation in Europe at Sporting CP.
There is also an awareness that United’s willingness to sell could speed up negotiations if interest becomes formal. With the player understood to be one of several midfielders under consideration for departure, the expectation is that movement could happen quickly if a bid meets the valuation.
Sports Boom even state that Ugarte could form part of a ‘player-plus-cash’ offer from United for Tonali.
For now, no formal offer has been made, but the situation may be one to watch.
With United open to business and Newcastle actively assessing midfield options, the conditions are in place for talks to develop quickly if they decide to move forward.
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He’s very keen on the idea of a St. James’ move.
