Newcastle United have long considered Arsenal to be the favourites to sign Sandro Tonali despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur, according to The Telegraph.
The Newcastle star was first linked with a move to the Gunners in January, but they have yet to make a move.
Leaking Spurs’ desire to pursue Tonali may well be designed to flush out the Gunners, but it is unclear whether they are ready to meet the Magpies’ demands.
Newcastle’s asking price for the 26-year-old Italian international is expected to be around the £100 million mark.
They are braced for bids and have expected Tonali to depart for several months.
Potential replacements have featured heavily in recruitment meetings since the spring, and a sale appears to be on the cards.
Arsenal are looking for a midfielder, with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi on their radar. However, their respective clubs are not actively looking to sell.
Tonali is for sale, but Newcastle are not under pressure as he is contracted until 2029. The club also holds the option to extend it by another 12 months.
Manchester City are huge admirers of the former AC Milan star, but Manchester United have told Newcastle they will not enter the race to sign him.
The combined cost of the transfer fee and his wage demands has put the Red Devils off, and it is unknown whether Arsenal or Tottenham have any concrete plans to make a move for him.
