Paul Scholes is right: Sandro Tonali IS BETTER than Declan Rice & Man Utd's ideal replacement for Casemiro

The same report adds that United also retain an interest in Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace playmaker Adam Wharton, both of whom are World Cup hopefuls for England and among the most impressive midfielders in the top-flight. Neither of them offers the all-round game of Tonali, though.

The Italian is a mobile ball winner and playmaker, Newcastle's quintessential No.6/No.8 hybrid, which is exactly what Casemiro is for United. As an elite technician and reader of the game, Tonali plays a vital role in both breaking down stubborn defences and protecting his own. 

Paul Scholes believes he is the best in class, even ahead of Arsenal's club-record signing Declan Rice, who is thought to be leading the race for the 2025-26 PFA Player of the Year award.

"I think he’s better than Rice," United's former creator-in-chief said of Tonali earlier in the season on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet. "I really like Rice, don’t get me wrong, I think he’s got everything. Sometimes he takes a few too many touches of the ball and tries to look a bit more stylish than necessary. He can do everything, but I just don’t think he does it enough. I prefer Tonali."

In other words, Tonali is more polished than Rice, which is difficult to disagree with. Scholes always seemed to be one step ahead of his opponents as a masterful passer with unrivalled positional sense, and likely sees more of himself in Tonali. Goals are the only thing missing from the 25-year-old's game, but that is mostly because of Newcastle's weaknesses as a collective. He has all the qualities needed to fill Casemiro's boots in the short-term and potentially eclipse the Brazilian further down the line.

United will have to move quickly if Tonali emerges as their standout midfield candidate. He was heavily linked with Arsenal on deadline day during the winter transfer window, while the Telegraph reports that Manchester City are monitoring his progress and Juventus could try to lure him back to Serie A.

He will not come cheaply, given the demand and his age. When you consider the fact that Rice, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez all fetched fees in excess of £100m ($134m), it stands to reason that Newcastle would demand the same for Tonali, who initially joined the club from AC Milan for just £55m ($72m) in the summer of 2023. He also signed a new contract at St James' Park while serving his 10-month ban for breaching Italian betting rules, which ties him to the Magpies until 2029 with the option of an extra year.

There is no way that United can negotiate any sort of cut-price deal, but that is also true in the cases of Anderson and Wharton. If they're going to fork out a nine-figure fee, Tonali carries the least risk with his extensive Champions League experience and status as a 30-cap Italy international.

United can also draw encouragement from Tonali's public statements on his future. Back in November, the Brescia academy graduate refused to rule out the possibility of leaving Newcastle one day, telling The i: "You know, [in] football you need to think year for year. I don’t want to say I want to stay here 10 years and in two years, three years, four years [or] five years I will go."

He continued: "I want to think, just for me, year for year. This is football. The last summer was tough for us, for Alex [Isak], but this is football. If you have an option for your life, for another team you need to think about everything. I don’t want to say ‘Yes, I want to stay here 10 years,’ but now I’m happy here. I don’t think anything about another team."

It wouldn't be a surprise if that last sentence were no longer true after the interest he generated in the January window. Isak held a similar stance when he was the leading man at Newcastle, and ultimately went on strike to force through his switch to Liverpool. If the biggest clubs in the world launch formal bids for Tonali, it's only natural that his head will turn, particularly while the Magpies' ambitious project continues to falter.

Despite their significant decline in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, United have still won six trophies in the last 13 years, including the 2024 FA Cup. That's five more than Newcastle, whose success in last season's Carabao Cup ended their 70-year wait for domestic silverware.

For all the progress the Magpies have made since the £300m ($402m) Saudi-backed takeover of the club in 2021, and the subsequent arrival of Eddie Howe as head coach, they remain a long way off challenging for the biggest prizes. Indeed, the League Cup success has not been a springboard to greater things, with Newcastle sitting 13th in the Premier League heading into the final 10 games of the current campaign. 

They will also be massive underdogs when they face Man City in the fifth round of the FA Cup and against Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16. Newcastle appear to be going backwards, and keeping hold of players like Tonali will become increasingly difficult if that doesn't change.

Worryingly for the Toon Army, Howe appeared to concede as much when addressing Tonali's situation last month. Asked whether transfer talk could unsettle the Italian, Howe told reporters: "I don't think so, but lots of things happen without my knowledge. That would surprise me [if Tonali became unsettled], but our best players will always attract glances from other clubs - that's just the reality of football. We want to keep our group together, we want to be progressive and Sandro plays a part in that. All encompassed, I don't see an issue, but I don't control everything."

In stark contrast, everything is looking rosy again at Old Trafford. Ruben Amorim deserves some credit for that, after solving United's goalkeeping and scoring issues with the signings of Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, not to mention stamping out the toxic player-power culture at the club by getting rid of Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, but the Portuguese's stubborn tactics made his January departure inevitable.

Carrick has started to bring out the squad's full potential and there is a real sense of momentum building. United deservedly got the better of title-chasing City and Arsenal in Carrick's first two games at the helm, while they've also shown the ability to win ugly in their last couple of outings against Palace and Everton. 

Although it's probably too late for a proper tilt at the Premier League crown, United will be well placed to emerge as genuine contenders next season, whether that's with Carrick picking up from where he leaves off, or with a Carlo Ancelotti or Thomas Tuchel-type building on the foundations he's laid down. The Red Devils will also be able to attract the finest players from home and abroad to take the next step, including Tonali.

He could be an even better midfield partner for Mainoo, with his calmness under pressure and the energy levels to cover more ground than Casemiro. United would only need one or two additions in other positions to fight on multiple trophy fronts. It's an exciting time to board the United ship, and no one could begrudge Tonali if he abandoned the sinking one at St James' Park.

United's trip to Tyneside on Wednesday could be a final audition for Tonali. Recent history is on Newcastle's side, too, as they've won three of their last four home meetings with the Red Devils alongside one draw. 

However, confidence is at an all-time low in Howe's camp. Newcastle have just one win from their last seven in the league, with their latest setback coming in the form of a dismal 3-2 defeat to Everton on Saturday. Tonali's workload has also increased due to the injury-enforced absence of club skipper Bruno Guimaraes. 

His best efforts could again be in vain against a flourishing United team functioning at near maximum. Should Newcastle succumb to another defeat, Tonali may find himself eyeing up the facilities at Old Trafford as a possible new base. 

United, meanwhile, might be enticed by the prospect of securing their first megastar from Italy. Tonali has long been compared to Azzurri icon Andrea Pirlo, which Howe leaned into last season.

"When I first saw Sandro play, there were definite links to Pirlo, without a doubt - and it's not just the hair. There's more to it than that," Howe said. "He's definitely got those similar qualities in terms of build and style, but I think the thing that sets Sandro apart from anyone else was he could do all of those things technically and tactically, and looked really good, but it's his athleticism as well, his ability to run. Yes, there are the obvious ones [comparisons] in terms of his technique and his passing and everything else, but I think that's the thing that sets him apart."

A modern-day Pirlo who can run non-stop for 90 minutes is exactly what United need. As statement signings go, there wouldn't be any better in the summer.