Mauricio Pocehttino has been encouraged to accelerate his search for a new midfielder this summer, with Newcastle expected to snatch Sandro Tonali from under Chelsea's nose. The 23-year-old has been briefly linked with a move to the Premier League for a while now, and the Magpies look set to finally wrap up a deal.
According to The Athletic, Newcastle are close to reaching an agreement with AC Milan to sign Tonali for a fee in the region of €70million (£60.2m). The report states that Eddie Howe's side first launched their pursuit of the Italy international earlier this week while the Blues watched on from the sidelines.
Chelsea are said to hold an interest in Tonali and, despite being in the market for a new midfielder, they haven't rivalled Newcastle for his signature. Therefore, there is now one less player, who was on Pochettino's shortlist, capable of replacing N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.
The Magpies' swift pursuit of the Italian has certainly given the west Londoners a wake-up call – blink, and you could miss out on your number one target. If Newcastle's pursuit of Tonali has taught Chelsea anything then it's to wrap up a pair of deals for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia before it's too late...
In March, the Brighton star signed a new long-term deal which keeps him at Brighton until 2027. Initially, it seemed as if Caicedo's extension would rule out the prospect of a future move, but that doesn't seem to be the case with the Blues expected to make a move in the coming weeks.
However, Chelsea are aware that the Ecuador international could cost in the region of £100million. As for Lavia, football.london understands the Blues are huge admirers of the Southampton star and they've done extensive scouting research on him.
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The 19-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge late into the summer – just weeks after leaving Manchester City to join the Saints – but Chelsea were ultimately unsuccessful in their mission. Over the last few weeks, it seems that Arsenal are now reportedly eyeing Lavia too.
While the Blues may have unknowingly challenged a rival to a transfer race, Todd Boehly has now secured significant funding from various sales to secure the teenage sensation's signature.
