Arsenal are reportedly ready to spend £100million on a midfielder this summer.
Although Mikel Arteta is prioritising attacking additions, he is also keen on strengthening the midfield, with Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi having both been overplayed at points last season.
The re-emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly has provided some relief, but the club are keen to add even more quality in the engine room.
One player who has consistently been linked is currently at a fellow Premier League club, but he will not be cheap.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Newcastle are demanding €115million (£100million) to part with Sandro Tonali this summer.
Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United are all said to be ready to meet those demands.
What is the maximum fee Arsenal should pay to sign Sandro Tonali?
Interest from the Gunners is not new. Fabrizio Romano has already confirmed that Arsenal have been in contact with people close to Tonali about a potential move.
Meanwhile, Man City view Tonali as their ideal alternative should their pursuit of Elliot Anderson — which has already seen one bid rejected — fail to materialise.
Tonali has rebuilt his reputation impressively since returning from his betting ban, and at 26 is one of the most complete midfielders in the Premier League.
His technical quality, physicality and ability to control the tempo of a game make him exactly the kind of player Arteta would love.
Sandro Tonali at Arsenal would raise serious questions about Martin Zubimendi’s future
Tonali would undoubtedly improve the quality of Arsenal’s midfield, but can they really justify such a hefty outlay? Particularly after spending £56million on Zubimendi just 12 months ago.
Adding the Italian to a group including Zubimendi, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, and Mikel Merino would raise serious questions about who plays and who does not.
Zubimendi, in particular, had a difficult second half of the season after being overplayed, and lost his place to Lewis-Skelly in the run-in.
Tonali coming in could effectively make Zubimendi surplus to requirements, which would be far from ideal given the Spaniard only joined last summer.
But if Arsenal are serious about bridging the gap to PSG and becoming genuine Champions League winners, perhaps players of Tonali’s calibre are exactly what is needed.
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