Sandro Tonali has not been good enough for Newcastle United.
That is the view of former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, who believes the Italian midfielder is ‘struggling’ despite enjoying an impressive debut at the start of the season.
Becoming the Magpies’ marquee signing of the summer, Tonali, 23, arrived at St. James’ Park after the northeast giants agreed to a deal worth a reported £55 million (Sky Sports) with Serie A side AC Milan.
However, despite being lauded as one of the summer window’s most exciting signings, as well as scoring on his competitive debut against Aston Villa on the Premier League’s opening day, Tonali’s performances have since dried up, raising questions over his ability to live up to his price tag.
And although Lennon has admitted the former AC Milan playmaker is a gifted player, the now-pundit is worried about the Italy international’s recent performances, including a lacklustre display against Manchester City during Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup cup tie.
“Tonali’s a very good player, I came up against him in the Europa League when he was with AC Milan. He seemed to start OK, but he’s struggling a bit lately,” he told BBC Sport.
How have you rated Tonali’s performances since the start of the season? – Let us know in the comments below.