Newcastle United are preparing to fend off Real Madrid this summer.
The Magpies are still in the mix for a top-five finish, and with five games remaining, Eddie Howe's outfit are looking good despite their recent blip at Aston Villa.
But keeping hold of some of their most valuable assets remains a key ask, but one man in particular, who is Newcastle United's second-most expensive signing ever, is attracting interest from overseas.
Newcastle United facing interest from Real Madrid for star
Newcastle's midfield seems to be ticking perfectly when on song, with Howe having created a pressing machine at St James' Park.
Mixing together Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali was something of a masterstoke, but with Real Madrid sniffing around one of the trio, it remains to be seen whether the La Liga's giants lure is big enough to convince.
It is the Italian Tonali who Fichajes says Newcastle United will struggle to keep hold of in the summer, with Real Madrid set to submit a bid worth £69m to bring him to the Bernabeu.
According to FBref, one of Tonali's key facets is his ball recoveries, ranking in the 93rd percentile for that very element of his game when compared to every other player in Europe's top five leagues.
Real Madrid reluctancy to hand the ball back to Arsenal time and time again in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final exit recently suggests they are looking in the right direction for a player who can add something to their midfield.
Tonali wont come cheap, but as is often the case, when Real Madrid come calling, it is hard to turn them down. Whether the former AC Milan star does stay at Newcastle United this summer remains to be seen.
In FourFourTwo's view, the only way Newcastle would facilitate a sale is for a huge fee and if they had a ready-made replacement for Tonali waiting in the wings. We can't see him leaving the north-east this summer.
The Magpies are back in Premier League action this weekend as they face Ipswich Town.
