Tottenham must survive at any cost and then turn to Mauricio Pochettino

There has been a lot of noise around Sandro Tonali this season and increasing speculation about a future away from Newcastle United but the Italy international has not been dropped because of that.

Tonali is not starting against Tottenham because he has looked out of form for months and in need of a rest. Others have attracted more criticism, but the drop off in performance levels from Tonali, compared to last season, has been dramatic.

It is still a brave call from manager Eddie Howe to leave him out, just as it is to pick Anthony Gordon at centre forward rather than either of his expensive summer signings Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade. 

Wissa does not look fit and Woltemade looks like a bad fit but Gordon is still a winger not a centre forward.

But Tonali has not been playing well and Newcastle’s midfield has been far too easy to play through recently. It will, of course, lead to more suggestions that the former AC Milan star does not want to be on Tyneside much longer.

Newcastle, though, are surprisingly relaxed about all the transfer talk about the midfielder, who was supposedly offered to Arsenal in January and who has since been linked with a summer move to Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus.

The player’s agent has publicly cranked up the pressure by hinting the 25-year-old would be interested in a move if Newcastle do not qualify for the Champions League. It has felt like a summer transfer saga has been well signposted.

Yet, the main power brokers at St James’ Park have shrugged it all off, almost dismissively, in private. They have pointed out that the player has not told anyone at Newcastle that he would like a move and, in fact, stressed to both sporting director Ross Wilson and Howe last week that he is extremely happy at the club.

It has also been pointed out that if Tonali wants a big money move in the summer – he is effectively under contract until 2030 – he needs to be playing a lot better than he is at the moment for anyone to be willing to make a bid that could tempt Newcastle to sell a player who cost them £55m in 2023.