Newcastle have discovered the subsequent Sandro Tonali

So far as clean begins go, it hasn’t been the best for Newcastle United supervisor Matthias Jaissle, who changed Eddie Howe within the sizzling seat final month and has been beneath the cosh from the get-go.

Newcastle hit various sticky patches within the Premier League final season, falling from their distinguished perch beneath Howe’s wing and slumping to a Twelfth-place end.

A lot went flawed, and the Magpies have since been swept away by so many adjustments in the summertime switch market. It has been a tricky one to take, however not each deal must be bemoaned, with the £100m sale of Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur wanting like glorious enterprise.

Why Newcastle had been proper to promote Tonali

Tonali went via the paces throughout his three-year stint with Newcastle, initally forged to the aspect following a prolonged betting ban, however returning and discovering world-class kind to revolutionise the Howe period, firing Newcastle into the Champions League and serving to safe the Carabao Cup title in 2025.

Nevertheless, the Italian maestro fell along with his teammates into one thing of a stoop final yr, and he was unable to supply the silky, fashionable and steely shows of the earlier marketing campaign. The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards acknowledged the frustration round his departure to a Premier League rival, however famous he was “common final season” throughout 2025/26.

Tonali is a bodily dominant athlete and an clever distributor, however he did certainly go away lots to be desired final yr. The 26-year-old solely accomplished 84% of his passes with out being significantly artistic, and having received solely 3.79 duels per sport, he ranked among the many backside 17% of Premier League midfielders for that metric.

Promoting Tonali to Tottenham was certainly an excellent transfer. For a nine-digit sum, the Italian maestro’s departure can absolutely be offset. What’s nonetheless irritating, nevertheless, is that he hasn’t been adequately changed – and Bruno Guimaraes’ current transfer to Arsenal has deepened Jaissle’s worries.

How Newcastle may lastly substitute Tonali this month

Tonali might need been “common” final season, however Newcastle have nonetheless misplaced a key cog on the coronary heart of their system. Bamba and Steur each have qualities that, within the combination, may assist substitute Tonali, however extra is unquestionably wanted.

Effectively, based on Sky Sports activities Germany’s Philipp Hinze, Newcastle have enquired over the supply of Nicolas Seiwald, who has a giant fan in Jaissle. The 25-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder is on the Magpies’ radar because the switch window reaches the closing levels,

Described as “the kind of midfielder each high group wants” by analyst Spencer Mossman and as a “sharp duel winner” by the identical scout, Jaissle certainly is aware of Seiwald effectively, having managed him in Austria with RB Salzburg who signed him for simply £17m.

Although he may not have the identical depth of technicality as somebody akin to Guimaraes, however his clean passing, high-energy strategy and glorious studying of the sport may see him show the lacking hyperlink in a Newcastle midfield missing a lot proper now.

REUTERS/Lisa Leutner

Tonali is irreplaceable, a novel profile, however Seiwald does share quite a few similarities with the Italian, particularly, he’s a powerful dueller and commanding defensive presence. He has room for progress whereas having garnered sufficient expertise to cement himself as a mainstay on the coronary heart of a Jaissle system – once more.

Seiwald may not cowl as a lot floor as somebody like Tonali, however he is aware of how one can command his house within the centre of the park. He is aware of how one can management a sport and direct visitors, getting caught in.

For Austria on the World Cup, the 25-year-old received a whopping 78% of his duels and accomplished 92% of his passes. On condition that he likes to press ahead and discover openings in attacking areas, he may additionally play a line-breaking function that Tonali, after all, will not produce on Tyneside.

Seiwald is a little bit of an underrated midfielder, able to dictating tempo and urgent with depth. Tonali may not be on the books anymore, however the Austrian could possibly be the right substitute, bringing a flavour of Jaissle’s type to a aspect who’re solely simply establishing themselves.

Many have already written Newcastle off, however oftentimes, it may be this type of pragmatic signing that may get a challenge off the bottom.