AC Milan chief makes controversial claim over Sandro Tonali’s £55m Newcastle United move

Sandro Tonali is showing signs of getting to grips with life in the Premier League after playing an integral role in what could be considered as Newcastle United’s most important week of the season.

The Italian midfielder produced an eye-catching display in last weekend’s 4-0 home win against Leicester City before guiding Eddie Howe’s side into the Carabao Cup semi-final by scoring twice in the 3-1 victory against Brentford in midweek. A fine seven days was rounded off with a hardworking and disciplined display in Saturday’s 4-0 triumph at Ipswich Town as Tonali and midfield partner Bruno Guimaraes received praise for their performances at Portman Road.

There was some shock when Tonali was persuaded to swap life with boyhood favourites AC Milan for a first tilt at the Premier League with Newcastle when the two clubs agreed a £55m fee during the summer of 2023. After scoring on his Magpies debut in a 5-1 hammering of Aston Villa, Tonali endured a mixed opening to life on Tyneside before his first season at St James Park was curtailed by a lengthy suspension for breaching gambling regulations.

However, he is now looking to establish himself as a key figure within the United squad and make up for lost time after completing a move that has now been alleged provoked a worrying reaction from Milan supporters just over 18 months ago.

Football Italia have reported the Serie A club’s CEO Giorgio Furlani has claimed he received death threats after agreeing to sell the Italy international to the Magpies. In a 24-page document published by Harvard Business School, he said: “I was aware of the volatility that comes from the fact that the media and fans talk about our club, but I understood that there’s no way to escape what they say on TV or write in the newspapers. It really affects you on the bad days. And then there are even worse days, like when I receive death threats, for example, when we sold Tonali, one of our best players. It’s in those moments that I thought: ‘Okay, these are things they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School.”

The Magpies star had been linked with a return to Serie A in recent weeks - but those reports were denied by United manager Howe and Tonali’s agent Beppe Riso.

Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, he said: “Sandro is absolutely not considering a return to Serie A. He is happy at Newcastle and is happy to play in the best league in the world. He is an idol for the Newcastle fans who have supported him at all times.”