Darren Bent Advises Arsenal to Avoid £100m for Sandro Tonali
Ex-England striker Darren Bent has urged Arsenal to reconsider their approach to signing Sandro Tonali, suggesting the club should avoid spending £100 million on the Newcastle midfielder. Instead, he believes the Gunners should focus on strengthening other areas of their squad.
Tonali is currently at the center of a high-profile Premier League transfer battle, with several top clubs showing interest in the 26-year-old central midfielder. Alongside Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Serie A giants Juventus are all reportedly monitoring the situation. Newcastle, however, seems increasingly resigned to losing their prized asset.
Recent reports from Italy suggest that Tottenham Hotspur has entered the fray, with manager Roberto De Zerbi playing a key role in the pursuit. Despite narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Tonali is said to be open to the idea of moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, the price tag for Tonali remains extremely high, with Newcastle reportedly demanding £100 million for the player. This comes six months after Arsenal had direct talks to sign him as cover for Mikel Merino, who was sidelined due to injury at the time.
Bent’s Perspective on Tonali’s Value
Speaking on talkSPORT, former Tottenham forward Bent expressed his views on the potential transfer. He stated that while Tonali is a very good player, Arsenal doesn’t need to spend £100 million on him.
“I’d love to take him at Arsenal, 100 per cent, but not for £100m,” Bent said. “He’d be brilliant for Manchester United, but £100m is a lot of money.”
Bent acknowledged that the £100 million fee might make sense for Newcastle, given Tonali’s quality. However, he believes the figure is too steep for Arsenal to justify.
“When it comes to what I think he’s really worth, I think £80m or £85m would be reasonable,” he added.
Tottenham’s Chances with De Zerbi
Bent also discussed Tottenham’s chances of securing Tonali, suggesting that the new manager, Roberto De Zerbi, could play a crucial role in convincing the midfielder to join the club.
“De Zerbi will say to him, ‘I get it, we’ve had a couple of down years… I know we won the Europa League, but think about what we’re doing now – we’re trying to get Savinho in, we’re trying to Jan Paul van Hecke in, Andy Robertson is already there!’” Bent explained.
“He’ll be saying, ‘We’re starting to rebuild and you could be that crown jewel right in the middle.’ So yeah, if they could sell that project to him, then maybe they get it over the line.”
Tonali’s Future and Agent’s Comments
Despite signing a new contract with Newcastle in January, tying him to St James’ Park until 2029, Tonali’s future remains uncertain. In an interview with Italian outlet Calcio e Finanza, his agent Giuseppe Riso revealed that the player and his inner circle have always viewed Newcastle as a stepping stone to a bigger club.
“The deal came about because a club like Newcastle with unlimited financial resources had decided to invest in Sandro,” Riso said. “We considered the idea of having the player play in a higher-level league.”
Riso also emphasized that the goal from the moment Tonali moved to England was to make him a star player. He described Tonali as one of the highest-valued Italian footballers in the world.
Conclusion
As the transfer window progresses, the debate over Tonali’s value continues. While many clubs see him as a key asset, Bent’s comments highlight the importance of careful financial decisions. Whether Tonali ends up at Arsenal, Tottenham, or another club, the final decision will depend on how each team presents their vision for his future.
