Liverpool have overlooked their midfield during the past four transfer windows after going big in the summer of 2023.
The Reds desperately needed some reinvention in the middle of the pitch having allowed their options to age and decline all at the same time.
The signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo breathed new life into a crucial area of the pitch for Liverpool and were crucial to the Reds’ Premier League title win last season.
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However, Mac Allister’s form has hit an elongated rough patch, Gravenberch doesn’t look quite so comfortable all of a sudden and Endo is not fancied by Arne Slot.
As a result, there is a feeling that Liverpool may need to refresh their midfield once again in 2026. This time, one new signing may be enough to pick things up, and after Fabrizio Romano confirmed Premier League interest in Sandro Tonali, it seems the Reds could be moving for Newcastle’s Italian maestro.
Sandro Tonali is one to watch in 2026
Liverpool reportedly wanted to sign Tonali before many English football fans had ever even heard of the midfielder.
The Reds were claimed to have made contact with Italian second division side Brescia over a move for the then 18-year-old in 2019.
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Tonali ultimately joined AC Milan in 2020 before a £55m move to Newcastle in 2023. After a rocky start on Tyneside was interrupted by a lengthy betting-related ban, Tonali has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most consistent midfielders over the past 18 months.
Still only 25, he may have his best years ahead of him. And according to an update from Romano, these could be spent at another Premier League club.
“Tonali will not leave Newcastle in January. Forget about it, impossible,” the transfer expert said on his YouTube channel. “In Italy, the possibility for Tonali to return at this point is linked to Juventus. Juventus consider him their dream signing for 2026. They will be there.”
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“But on Tonali let me say that people close to the player also expect Premier League top clubs to arrive and jump on the case for the possibility to sign him. It’s going to be an interesting summer for Tonali, but it depends on Newcastle. They will control the story and the price – which will be important.”
Tonali move would make sense for Liverpool
In terms of top teams from the Premier League who could be in for Tonali, Liverpool would make the most sense. The Reds are obviously due a refresh in the middle of the park and this is a signing which would really fit the bill.
The Italy international would provide a boost to the quality in depth of the Reds’ midfield and could deputise for Gravenberch in the deeper-lying role.
At Newcastle, he slots seamlessly into a midfield three with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, and he would bring a similar balance at Liverpool.
The price here may be slightly prohibitive, but it is clear that Liverpool’s next big signing should be a midfielder, and Tonali fits the profile almost perfectly.
Newcastle may be wary of doing further business with Liverpool after the Alexander Isak debacle of last year. But with Tonali’s people also seemingly expecting to be granted a move away, the Reds could stand to benefit once again.
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