Newcastle star Sandro Tonali tipped for Juventus move by Italy legend

Tonali came through the youth ranks at Brescia before being snapped up by Serie A giants AC Milan in 2020, initially on loan before the move was made a permanent one. He won the Serie A title in 2021-22 at San Siro but left a year later, becoming the most expensive Italian footballer ever when Newcastle forked out €70 million (£61m/$83m) to take him to St James' Park.

His start to life on Tyneside was disrupted when he was handed a ten-month ban, including eight months in gambling rehabilitation, for breaching Italian betting regulations.

However, Tonali has since become an established star in the Premier League after impressing in Howe's side, helping the Magpies finish fifth in the 2024-25 season to qualify for the Champions League. It's been a trickier campaign domestically so far this term, but Newcastle will play in the last 16 of Europe's elite club competition after they beat Qarabag 9-3 on aggregate in the knockout round play-off, with Tonali scoring in the second leg on Tuesday night.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Marchisio was asked whether he would pursue a free transfer for Bernardo Silva, who is out of contract at Manchester City this summer. However, the former midfielder pivoted and said his former club needed to bring in strong Italian players to help them in their bid to return to the top of Serie A.

He said: “Football changes, but the DNA of clubs does not. Juventus have always had a core group of Italian champions and needs to rebuild it. [Gianluigi] Donnarumma seems unattainable to me, he just moved to Manchester City. Tonali seems more feasible. He would be an excellent starting point, but patience will be needed.”

Marchisio also revealed his admiration for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, who starred during Napoli's 2022-23 Serie A title triumph before his relationship with the club broke down.

He added: "He certainly would have made the difference. The Osimhen we're admiring at Galatasaray is anything but a striker who went to Turkey to spend the winter. In the first leg, he showed incredible determination, something Juventus has often lacked in front of goal."

Tonali himself has admitted he could never rule out the prospect of returning to his homeland one day, saying in October: "You can never know what will happen, I tell everyone it's possible. I'm not closing the door on Italy; it's my country. Maybe not now because I've found my balance at Newcastle, but the league is getting better and better, the level of the teams is rising."

Newcastle are in a strong position when it comes to Tonali's future. The Italy international signed a contract extension with the club during his suspension, with his deal now set to run until 2029 with the option of another year. That would mean any Serie A sides who want to acquire his services would have to stump up a considerable transfer fee to convince the Magpies to sell one of their most prized assets.

Juventus started the season with Igor Tudor, now the interim manager at Tottenham Hotspur, in charge. However, the Croatian was given a boot after an eight-game winless run, with Luciano Spalletti appointed as his successor.

The 66-year-old initially helped La Vecchia Signora turn the corner, but problems have arisen in the last month or so. Juventus have lost four of their last five games and are in danger of exiting the Champions League, having been beaten 5-2 by Galatasaray in the first leg of their knockout round play-off. The second fixture of that tie takes place on Wednesday evening.