MEN: Man Utd receive ‘double boost’ in pursuit of Premier League midfielder after new developments

Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston believes Manchester United have ‘received a double boost’ in their pursuit of Sandro Tonali.The Red Devils have been sizing up a move for the Newcastle United star in the lead-up to the summer window.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY United’s chances of signing Sandro Tonali and bringing him in early have increased for two reasons #mufc https://t.co/qTrCnrwvkm — Steven Railston (@StevenRailston) April 1, 2026Sandro Tonali: The state of play amid United linksWhile, of course, nothing is set in stone yet and no formal approaches have been made, it’s thought Tonali would be open to a move to Old Trafford if the opportunity arose, as per Fabrizio Romano.It would see him cut short his tenure at St. James’ Park after three years, despite being contracted to the club until 2029, plus the option of an additional 12 months.His desire to continue playing in the Champions League next season has left the Magpies relatively hopeless when it comes to trying to keep hold of him, as they sit 12th-placed in the Premier League table heading into matchweek 32. ”It was bad, bad timing” Will Sandro Tonali be on the move this summer after his agent, Giuseppe Riso’s, recent comments on his future and could this be another ”Alexander Isak situation” ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/rESYMKn15S — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 6, 2026Why Italy’s World Cup heartbreak might work in United’s favourLast night, it was confirmed that the 25-year-old would be in for a quiet summer – aside from all the transfer speculation – as Italy’s play-off final defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina meant they would be missing their third consecutive World Cup.Tonali did his bit to try and secure his nation’s place, scoring in their 2-0 semi-final win against Northern Ireland and Italy’s only penalty in the shootout on Tuesday.Previously, his agent had claimed that any talks over the midfielder’s future would have to wait until the conclusion of the tournament.“The transfer market essentially starts when the tournament ends. Clearly, you start setting up many negotiations now,” he said.Alas, now that it’s set in stone that Tonali will be watching on from home like the rest of us, he can make a decision on his potential next club as soon as the Premier League campaign draws to a close.In addition to his international heartache working in United’s favour, Newcastle sharing their financial numbers this week indicated they would be operating on a sell-to-buy basis in the transfer window.Tonali, who’s one of their most valuable assets, will likely be one of the first out the door.