19 July 2023 , 10:00
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Eddie Howe has hit back at "misguided" claims that record buy Sandro Tonali had to be "dragged" to Newcastle.
The £55million midfielder made his Toon debut against Rangers on Tuesday and Howe has outlined the mentality he wants from new signings. Italian media have claimed he was in tears at being "forced out" of AC Milan, and initially rejected the move to Tyneside.
But Howe said: "That has been totally misguided. Sandro is very proud to be here and to wear the shirt and represent the club. That was made very clear to me very early otherwise we wouldn’t have committed to the transfer.
"We have no desire to drag anyone to Newcastle. They have to want to run there with no shoes on. That is the mentality we want. You have to have that togetherness spirit and desire to do well and that is only going to come from a desire to play for the club."
Tonali is quite the coup for Newcastle. The 23-year-old has won 14 senior caps for Italy and played 130 games for Milan, winning the Serie A title in May 2022. Howe was impressed with Tonali's first 45 minutes in black and white.
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He said: "We are very keen to bring players in and we want freshness to the squad. He was very calm, composed and high level. He built good relationships with the players around him and looked at home in a black and white shirt. It was a great start for him.
"He looked like he was enjoying himself and with those players around him he will enjoy playing an attractive style and moving the ball around well. He was pivotal to that."
Sandro Tonali has left AC Milan for Newcastle (Getty Images)What did you make of Sandro Tonali's move to Newcastle? Let us know in the comments below!
Tonali, who completed his transfer earlier this month, said at the time: "First of all, I want to thank Newcastle United because they are giving me a huge opportunity for my career. I want to repay the trust on the pitch, giving it my all, as I always have. I'm really excited about playing at St James' Park, I can't wait to feel the warmth of the fans."
Newcastle have been offered £20m for Allan Saint-Maximin by Saudi club Al-Ahli, and the club are pushing for nearer £30m. Newcastle and Al-Ahli have the same majority owner in the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
Howe’s squad flew to Atlanta on Wednesday without the French winger and have to sell to ease their Financial Fair Play problem, before they can reinvest. Newcastle will play Aston Villa, Chelsea and Brighton during their time in the United States.
Howe wants Leicester winger Harvey Barnes and Toni Livramento of Southampton and hopes for a new arrival next week. The Foxes and the Saints both suffered relegation from the Premier League last season and are under pressure to sell their best players.