Manchester United have lost yet another midfield transfer target in the form of Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, which isn’t a bad thing. But there is a huge blow to come from it.
Sandro Tonali is set to join Tottenham for a fee of £100m this summer, which is a terrible deal that Manchester United quite rightly didn’t go anywhere near.
The midfield market has shifted, and United may have to pay more than anticipated to rebuild the department this summer, with several options dropping off the shortlist.
Missing out on Tonali, however, isn’t a blow because of the player he is, but rather implications for United’s transfer window elsewhere.
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Lewis Hall will now be completely off the table for Manchester United
While the midfield situation will correctly be the focus right now with United chasing their tail, having missed out on Fernandes, other positions are being impacted.
In particular, Tonali’s £100m move will prove fatal to any chance of Lewis Hall being available this summer.
Hall was the number one left-back target for this summer, and before Newcastle sold Tonali, he was valued at £70m, which would be crazy for a full-back.
But now, Newcastle have received £170m from sales this summer and won’t need to sell anyone else, never mind to a club they like to consider rivals.
So signing Hall isn’t a possibility anymore, likely unless United paid up more than the fees that these midfielders are going for, which isn’t going to happen.
United didn’t look likely to sign Hall this summer, but now the prospect of this has hit zero, or at least a low single-figure percentage.
Which is bad for Ineos in some ways, but in others it might prove to be a good thing.
Signing Hall was never feasible, and he isn’t worth the prices being quoted, especially when Ineos’ recruitment team can instead find a Senne Lammens-like signing.
This or United can turn to either Patrick Dorgu or Harry Amass in the position to back up Luke Shaw, both being capable and ready to contribute.
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United could soon see Aurelien Tchouameni unavailable
Mateus Fernandes is off the list, Elliot Anderson is gone, and now Tonali. Three of the narrowed shortlist of midfield options United have been looking at are now headed to rivals.
Aurelien Tchouameni is another looking unlikely.
This is because of his wages, which United believes are too expensive and wouldn’t complete a signing unless he slashes these demands.
But also, Spanish outlet Marca has reported that Eduardo Camavinga could be heading to Manchester City.
City are in talks with Madrid, the report claims, and if they sell Camavinga, then a deal to sign Tchouameni gets both more expensive and much harder.
This would be another blow in a horrendous week for United’s transfer window, in which the entire landscape has changed.
Tick, Tock, Ineos.
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