Several top European clubs are also interested, including Arsenal.
Real Madrid scouts were present during the FA Cup match in the 5th round between Newcastle and Manchester City on Saturday, but they were not just there to scout their upcoming opponents.
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While trying to find weaknesses in Manchester City ahead of the Champions League clash in the last eight on Wednesday, Los Blancos’ staff also kept a close eye on a potential transfer target.
The Spanish club is preparing to join the race to sign Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, along with a handful of European clubs, including Arsenal and Juventus. Tonali is said to be “high on Madrid’s agenda”.
Real Madrid “can be hard to resist” for the 25-year-old.
Premier League leaders Arsenal are said to have made contact to sign the Italian international in the final stages of the January window, but Newcastle quickly turned down the request, according to Florian Plettenberg.
Tonali, who is currently in his third season at Newcastle following his £55m move from AC Milan in 2023, was asked about his future in November.
“This is a difficult question because, you know, in football you have to think year by year,” he said.
“Last summer was tough for us, for Alex [Isak], but that’s football. If you have an opportunity of your life, for another team, you have to think everything through. I don’t want to say, ‘Yes, I want to stay here for ten years,’ but right now I’m happy here. I’m not thinking about any other team.”
Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, played down talk of a transfer in January, but hinted that they would assess his client’s situation in the summer.
“These transition discussions will take place later,” he said. “We’ll see how the season ends, and then we’ll decide what to do. There is no preference at the moment. It’s still early.”
Paul Scholes names Sandro Tonali the Premier League’s best midfielder
In a recent episode of The Overlap, former Manchester United midfielder Paul Schles was full of praise for Tonali.
When asked to name the Premier League’s best midfielder, he said: “Right now? It’s hard. I still don’t consider Moisés Caicedo a complete midfielder. I know he scored a great goal and was brilliant the other day.
I got a bit yelled at last year after I went out against him, and I almost considered taking it back because he was brilliant in the Club World Cup. I just prefer the controlling type of midfielders who play with a bit more style and can score goals a bit more often than Caicedo.”
Scholes added: “I also love Sandro Tonali. He’s been brilliant. Very good. I would probably choose Tonali at this point.”
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