The final hours of the January transfer window are famous for delivering shocks that nobody saw coming, and the latest news out of North London is a perfect example. Reports are surfacing that Arsenal is making an ambitious, last-minute push to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.
According to insights from Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany, the Gunners have already initiated direct conversations to see if a deal can be struck before the 7:00 PM deadline on Monday. It is a move that has sent ripples through the league, as Tonali is widely considered one of the most vital components of Eddie Howe’s project on Tyneside.
The motivation behind Mikel Arteta’s sudden interest is clear: a deepening crisis in the Arsenal midfield. The team recently received devastating news regarding Mikel Merino, who is scheduled for surgery on a bone injury in his right foot.
With Merino expected to be sidelined for a significant amount of time, the Arsenal hierarchy has decided that they cannot afford to leave their squad short-handed as they enter the most critical phase of the season. They need a player who can step in immediately and handle the physical and technical demands of a title charge, and Tonali fits that profile perfectly.
However, wanting a player and actually signing him on deadline day are two very different things. Newcastle United is reportedly digging in its heels. From the perspective of the Magpies, losing a player of Tonali’s caliber with only a few hours left to find a replacement would be a sporting disaster.
The Italian midfielder has been an ever-present force for Eddie Howe this season, featuring in every single one of Newcastle’s 24 Premier League matches. His ability to dictate the tempo of the game and his tireless work rate have made him a fan favorite and a tactical cornerstone at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle is also in an incredibly strong position when it comes to the negotiating table. Tonali is currently signed to a long-term contract that runs until June 2029, and the club even holds an option to extend that by another twelve months.
This means Newcastle is under zero financial pressure to sell. While the club did make a massive sale in September sending Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a British record fee of £125 million their financial situation has stabilized.
They are no longer in a position where they have to sacrifice their best players just to balance the books, as evidenced by their earlier rejection of Fulham’s approach for Joe Willock.
For Arsenal, this pursuit is a race against time and logic. Plettenberg himself admitted that finalizing this deal will be “very, very difficult.” Newcastle has not given any indication that they are willing to provide the “green light” for the transfer. Yet, the Gunners are persistent. They are continuing to push, hoping that a substantial offer might tempt the Newcastle board to reconsider.
For a player like Tonali, who moved to England for a significant fee and has finally found his rhythm in the Premier League, a move to a title-contending side like Arsenal could be life-changing. But unless Arsenal produces an offer that is simply too high to refuse, it seems unlikely that Newcastle will weaken their squad so close to the deadline.
Tactically, Tonali would be a dream addition for Arteta. He possesses the defensive discipline to shield the backline but also the creative vision to launch attacks from deep positions. If he were to join Arsenal, he would likely slot into a midfield trio that could dominate possession against almost any opponent.
But as the clock ticks down, the reality of the situation is setting in. Newcastle fans will be hoping their board stays strong, while Arsenal supporters are waiting to see if their club can pull off one of the most dramatic “gazumps” in recent history.
The next few hours will reveal whether this is a genuine possibility or just a late-window inquiry that fell short. If Arsenal fails to land Tonali, they will have to look at other emergency options or trust their current squad to navigate the absence of Mikel Merino. Either way, the fact that they are even targeting a player of Tonali’s stature shows just how serious the Gunners are about their ambitions this year.
