Newcastle's absence from the Champions League aids Manchester United in signing Tonali! Magpies face a £100 million gap, selling for £10 million yields profit.

Manchester United is interested in multiple Newcastle United players, especially midfielder Sandro Tonali. The 25-year-old Italian national team player is one of the Red Devils' primary transfer targets, appreciated by the recruitment team, and Newcastle's financial circumstances compel them to sell.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has clearly stated that the club indeed faces financial issues—not a lack of funds, but deficits in their financial reports—and may need to rely on player sales this summer to balance the books. This week, Newcastle released its 2024/25 season accounts, with experts analyzing that if they don't sell players this summer, they will incur a massive loss of £98 million.

Newcastle's financial situation increasingly requires selling players to avoid huge losses. In the 2024/25 season, Newcastle qualified for the Champions League, but this season they are already certain not to achieve the same result. Although theoretically there is still a chance to overtake fifth-placed Liverpool, it is akin to the probability of China's national team reaching the World Cup finals.

Newcastle trails Liverpool by as much as 10 points and ranks only 14th, meaning even if Liverpool loses all remaining matches and Newcastle wins all theirs, they would still depend on the results of eight other teams ahead. Not only the Champions League, Newcastle is essentially out of contention for any European qualification, unable to receive any bonuses from UEFA.

Although Eddie Howe insists Newcastle players are not for sale, the financial situation indicates otherwise. To circumvent financial rules and balance accounts, Newcastle has now sold its St James' Park stadium to itself.

Newcastle sold St James' Park to another company controlled by the club, "PZNH," for £171.2 million. The Premier League has confirmed this as a fair market transaction, not violating PSR Profitability and Sustainability rules.

However, that was mainly to facilitate borrowing for a new stadium construction. Financially, Newcastle still needs to sell at least one player. The UK's Daily Telegraph reports that the club will adopt a more pragmatic approach, engaging with clubs showing strong interest in their players, while clearly stating they will only accept offers matching their valuation.

Tonali and Anthony Gordon are both priced at £100 million, while Tino Livramento is valued at £60 million. However, if buying clubs have strong negotiation power, bargaining is still possible. Internally, Newcastle does not believe captain Bruno Guimarães will leave; they may discuss a new contract with the Brazilian international in the coming months.

Ideally, Manchester United hopes to resolve its midfield issue early in the summer transfer window (June 15). Many other players will focus on the World Cup, but Tonali's Italy is not in the tournament, allowing him to negotiate earlier and join before preseason. Newcastle also hopes to settle player departures early to avoid another Isak situation and leave time for recruitment replacements.

Newcastle believes that if the club handles matters transparently, even if a deal is not finalized, Tonali will remain. He has never expressed a desire to force a departure, as the Italian midfielder appreciates the club's support during his suspension, so he will train hard and contribute to the team regardless.

According to the Premier League's upcoming new financial rule SCR (Club Spending Cap), each player has a cost value based on amortized value—transfer fee divided by contract length—and existing wages.

SCR stipulates: Premier League club spending cannot exceed 70% of revenue. Tonali's six-year contract with Newcastle is mostly fulfilled, his club cost is only £9 million. This means Newcastle could profit even by selling for just £10 million. If sold for £100 million, Newcastle could sign six or seven new players at £45 million each, effectively rebuilding the team without selling others.