Newcastle United made a huge splash in the transfer market after striking a deal to sign Sandro Tonali from AC Milan for an initial €70-million fee, reports transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The fee for the 23-year-old could potentially rise further based on performance-related add-ons in the transfer agreement.

The deal includes a sell-on clause that would see AC Milan potentially receive a portion of a transfer fee if Newcastle were to sell Tonali.

The Italian midfielder has already completed a medical and is expected to put pen to paper on a long-term contract until 2029 that’s worth €7 million per year, plus €2 million in potential add-ons, Romano adds. He was reportedly earning around €2.5 million per season at Milan.

All that remains is for the two clubs to announce the blockbuster transfer.

A childhood fan of Milan, Tonali realized his dream of playing for the Rossoneri in 2021 after taking a pay cut to join Stefano Pioli’s team from Brescia.

Tonali, who’s currently captaining Italy’s Under-21 team at the Euros, was a pivotal member of AC Milan’s Scudetto-winning team in 2022 before signing a new five-year contract in September.

He ends his spell in Milan with seven goals and 11 assists in 127 appearances.

The fee is around the same that Newcastle paid to make Alexander Isak their club-record signing from Real Sociedad last summer. It’s also a record fee paid for an Italian player.

At Newcastle, Tonali will be relied on heavily to help the Magpies in their return to the Champions League while trying to replicate last season’s success when the club impressively finished in fourth place.