Sandro Tonali’s future at Newcastle United was thrown into doubt at the start of deadline day, with Arsenal claiming to be in talks to sign him before the deadline.
Unsurprisingly, considering it was quite late, the news was quickly ignored as the Magpies did not have time to find a suitable replacement and did not want to lose the Italy international.
His agent, Giuseppe Riso, said: “I have never had any conversations with Arsenal. Newcastle had no intention of letting Tonali leave in January. That has nothing to do with that. We didn’t even discuss that.” The central midfielder has started 21 of his 24 Premier League appearances for the Magpies so far this season and is an important part of Eddie Howe’s side, so it’s no wonder the club don’t want to sell him to Arsenal. gunners.
Tonali, who has made seven Premier League appearances and scored one goal, joined Newcastle from AC Milan in 2023 for £55m, so it would require a huge transfer fee to land him.
Newcastle looking to sign Ivorian central midfielder
However, it remains to be seen whether the Italian star will remain at St James’ Park at the end of the summer period, with Arsenal thought to be keen on him. Perhaps with that idea in mind, the Magpies are reportedly considering signing a midfield player who could be a long-term replacement for Tonali on Tyneside.
Newcastle United are “trying” to sign Stade Reims central midfielder Patrick Zabi in the January transfer window, according to Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope.
The reporter claims that the Magpies had been “working hard” to get the 19-year-old to sign a deal to join Howe’s side before the deadline, but unfortunately their efforts came too late.
Newcastle were too late to bring the Ivorian starlet to St James’ Park in this window. However, Hope has revealed there is still interest from the club in the midfielder, meaning they will still try to sign him ahead of the summer window.
That means Tonali and Xavi will remain at their respective clubs for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, but the door may be open for both to complete their transfers in the summer.
Why can Zabi move to Newcastle instead of Tonali?
The Reims central midfielder may not be an obvious replacement for Tonali as he currently plays in Ligue 2, but talent scout Jacek Kulig suggests he could star in Europe’s major leagues in the future.
Described by Kulig in the above post as “one of France’s most exciting midfielders”, Xavi has played 18 games in the second division this season, scoring one goal and creating four “big chances” created in the center of the park.
As well as providing quality at the top end of the pitch, the teenage star ranks in the top 8% of central midfielders in Ligue 2 for completed dribbles (15), ball recoveries (97) and possession won in the final third (10), showing that, like Tonali, he is an all-action star who provides quality at every stage of play.
25/26 league season | Tonali | choose |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | twenty four | 18 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 3 | 4 |
assist | 1 | 2 |
Number of successful dribbles per game | 0.7 | 0.8 |
Number of tackles per game | 1.0 | 1.2 |
Interceptions per game | 0.9 | 0.9 |
Duels won per match | 3.2 | 3.5 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, Tonali in the Premier League and Zabi in Ligue 2 have surprisingly similar statistics in and out of possession in league games in the 2025-26 season.
Although it is a step up from the French second tier to the Premier League, these statistics demonstrate Xavi’s profile as a midfielder and why he could be a replacement for Newcastle’s Italian star.
Like Tonali, the Ivorian gem is an all-action star who can influence the game with tackles, interceptions, duels, dribbling and creativity in the middle of the park, making him a perfect fit for Howe’s intense style of play in a 4-3-3 system.
Newcastle need three midfielders who can run all over the pitch and contribute in all phases of play, like Bruno Guimarães, Tonali and Joelinton, and Xabi can fill that role.
Signing the 19-year-old star this summer could therefore mean the English head coach has a replacement in the building for the Arsenal target if the Italian international moves from St James’ Park.
