Tonali dismisses talk of return to Italy, Newcastle midfielder ‘happy where I am’

Sandro Tonali dismissed talk of a return to Serie A after helping Newcastle United end their long wait for a major trophy and return to the Champions League.

Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July 2023 for a reported £60million fee but played just 12 games in all competitions in his first season before he was hit with a 10-month suspension for illegal betting activity.

He returned to action last August and was instrumental for Newcastle as they won their first domestic major trophy for 70 years with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the EFL Cup. The Magpies then went on to cap a memorable season by finishing fifth in the Premier League, securing Champions League qualification for next season courtesy of the extra place earned because of England’s UEFA coefficient.

After an indifferent start to the 2024-25 season, Newcastle’s fortunes were transformed in large part by Tonali being moved to the base of the midfield, his ability to regain possession and progress the ball forward pivotal to the success of Eddie Howe’s team.

Tonali scored six goals and provided three assists in 2024-25. He finished tied third in the Premier League for possessions won in the middle third of the pitch (109).

Newcastle’s midfield of Tonali and Brazil internationals Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton is viewed as one of the best in the Premier League.

And, having previously spoken warmly of how the club stood by him during his ban, Tonali has no intention of moving back to Italy.

“I’m happy where I am now. I’ve found people who care about me, and I care about them,” Tonali told Sky Sport Italia ahead of Italy’s World Cup qualifiers with Norway and Moldova.

“I don’t want to break any of the bonds I’ve built. “I’ve had a lot of thoughts every day, but right now, I’m happy where I am.”

“It’s a black and white eruption” ⚫️⚪️

Sandro Tonali opens the scoring for Newcastle Utd inside just TWO minutes

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/0DAZnctJ0i

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 11, 2025

Recalling the victorious EFL Cup campaign, Tonali added: “It was beautiful because it was hard.

“We weren’t the favourites, and we never really have been. We beat Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

“We weren’t the favourites in almost every match, but it was special also because when an unexpected team wins, all eyes turn to them. It was amazing to do it with a team that hadn’t done it in 70 years, with incredible fans.”

Italy are aiming to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2014, and their task should be easier with the tournament’s expansion to a 48-team finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The Azzurri crashed out of Euro 2024, a tournament Tonali missed because of his ban, with a last-16 defeat to Switzerland.

Tonali scored twice as Italy reached the Nations League quarter-finals, in which they lost to Germany.

Now, as Italy aim to come through a qualifying group in which Norway are the main threat, Tonali is hopeful a sense of unity will serve them well.

“Sometimes, when I am away from Italy for a long time or during long breaks, I do miss coming home a bit, but I always come back with the national team and I always give my best,” he explained.

“There’s a group here that wants to be together and needs to be here, united. There’s a desire to face these 10 days as a real team, staying close and trying not to make things harder for ourselves. That’s often where the teams struggle, and we’re trying to keep things simple.”