Arsenal's Pursuit of Sandro Tonali: A Costly Decision?

Nacho Monreal has urged Arsenal to think twice before diving into the race for Sandro Tonali, warning that signing the Newcastle United midfielder could come at a heavy cost.

The former Arsenal left-back, speaking to Rekatochklart, hailed Tonali in glowing terms but argued that the move would likely force the club to sacrifice one of its current midfield pillars, Martín Zubimendi or Declan Rice.

“If Arsenal buys Tonali, they will get the best midfielder in the world,” Monreal said, leaving no doubt about how highly he rates the Italian.

That praise, though, came with a sharp dose of realism. Arsenal moved aggressively in the market last year to bring in Zubimendi for a substantial fee, adding him to a midfield already anchored by Rice. Both have become central to Mikel Arteta’s structure, and Monreal believes there is a clear financial and tactical limit to how many elite holding midfielders a single squad can absorb.

“But they signed Zubimendi for a lot of money last year, so it’s difficult,” he noted. To stack Tonali on top of Zubimendi and Rice, Monreal argued, would be excessive: “To have both Tonali, Zubimendi, and Rice would be a lot, so I can only imagine that they would have to sell either Zubimendi or Declan Rice if they really want Tonali.”

That is the crux of his warning. Arsenal can chase Tonali’s talent, but not without consequences.

Monreal’s stance underlines just how highly he values the club’s current midfield core. “In my opinion, they already have the two best defensive midfielders in the world,” he said of Zubimendi and Rice, framing any move for Tonali as a luxury rather than a necessity.

Tonali, linked with Arsenal and several major European clubs this summer, remains a coveted name. The question now is whether Arsenal see him as the missing piece—or as a temptation that risks breaking up what Monreal believes is already the strongest defensive midfield pairing in the game.