Manchester City are preparing for a summer of major surgery in midfield – and Sandro Tonali has emerged as one of the most ambitious pieces of the plan.
With Bernardo Silva’s contract running down and the club captain expected to leave when his deal expires in June, City’s hierarchy are working on a succession strategy that could reshape the core of Pep Guardiola’s team. At the heart of it sit two names: Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Newcastle United’s Tonali.
Anderson top of the list, Rodri talks looming
Inside the Etihad, Anderson has been placed at the very top of City’s transfer wish list. The Nottingham Forest and England midfielder is viewed as a long-term pillar, with the club positioning themselves as frontrunners for his signature ahead of the summer window. Anderson is expected to leave Forest after the FIFA World Cup, and City intend to be ready.
The uncertainty does not end there. Rodri, Ballon d’Or winner and the metronome of Guardiola’s side, is also heading into a crucial phase. Sporting director Hugo Viana and his team are expected to sit down with the Spaniard’s camp in the coming months for contract talks that will go a long way to defining the next iteration of City’s midfield.
City want to move early. They are planning for the 2026–27 campaign already, and the strategy is clear: secure at least one world-class midfielder, and ideally two, to protect the club against both immediate departures and future turbulence.
Tonali: the ambitious play
That is where Tonali comes in. City officials are actively tracking the Italian’s situation at St. James’ Park, even if Anderson currently leads their internal shortlist.
Tonali, under contract at Newcastle until June 2029 with an option for a further year, is entering what should be the prime of his career. After a disappointing season for the Magpies, he is believed to be attracted by the chance to fight for major honours at one of Europe’s elite clubs. Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal are all credited with interest.
City see an opportunity to add a different profile to their engine room: a midfielder comfortable dictating tempo but also capable of imposing himself physically, someone who could eventually share or shoulder responsibility with Rodri if the Spaniard’s future takes a twist.
The problem? Newcastle do not want to sell.
No pact, no discount
Reports had hinted at the possibility of a gentlemen’s agreement between Tonali and Newcastle that might ease a move away from Tyneside. According to The Athletic, that simply does not exist.
Sources cited by the outlet are clear: there is no informal pact that would allow Tonali to walk if a superclub comes calling. What does exist is “mutual respect and appreciation” between the player and Newcastle’s hierarchy – but respect does not translate into a cut-price exit.
For City, it means any deal is a “tall order”. Newcastle are understood to value Tonali at around €100 million, and they hold all the contractual leverage. His future is expected to be addressed only after the FIFA World Cup across the Atlantic, a timeline that could complicate City’s broader planning.
City would also need the player to take a stand. One report has suggested the Premier League champions would effectively require Tonali to push for the move himself, even to the extent of handing in a formal transfer request at that €100 million valuation. Without that pressure from the player’s side, Newcastle can simply shut the door.
City’s next move
For now, everything at the Etihad is interlinked. Rodri’s contract situation, Anderson’s availability, and Tonali’s stance at Newcastle will together shape how City’s midfield looks next season and beyond.
The champions are willing to be bold. They have been linked with creative package deals involving multiple players to tempt Newcastle into negotiations for Tonali, underlining just how highly they rate the Italy international.
Whether that boldness turns into a formal bid is another matter. City must first decide how hard they are prepared to push, and how much of their summer budget they are willing to commit to a player whose club has no intention of selling and no agreement to let him go.
One thing is already clear: as Bernardo Silva edges towards the exit and Rodri’s future is discussed behind closed doors, Manchester City are not waiting for a crisis to arrive. They are trying to rewrite the next chapter of their midfield now – and Tonali sits right at the centre of that question.
