Sandro Tonali has received a lot of attention since moving to Newcastle this summer but Stan Collymore believes the Italy star just needs time to become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
The Magpies brought the 23-year-old to St. James’ Park from AC Milan over the summer as part of a £55m deal. The transfer was widely praised at the time and the midfielder’s quick start against Aston Villa on the opening day sent expectations through the roof.
Ever since, the Italy international has been hot and cold but that comes with adjusting to life in a new country and club. Former footballer Stan Collymore believes the Newcastle star needs time and has the potential to be one of the best midfielders in England.
Speaking about Tonali in an exclusive interview with CaughtOffside, Collymore said: “Sandro Tonali started life at Newcastle United with a bang.
“He scored a few minutes into his competitive debut against Aston Villa on the Premier League’s opening day and everybody thought ‘Wow, this guy is going to be the signing of the summer’ but things have since dried up a bit.”
“I’ve seen he has received some criticism, but I think he’s a classic example of a player who needs time, perhaps the whole of his first season, to settle into life at St. James’ Park, as well as into the demands of the Premier League,” the pundit continued.
“He is more than capable of being one of the country’s best midfielders, but he is going to need time to adapt to how the game is played here. Once he does that, which may not be until his second season, I think we’ll see the player Eddie Howe saw when he decided to sign him from AC Milan in the summer.”