Newcastle stun Man Utd with ‘firm approach’ for Inter star as second Serie A raid gains traction

Newcastle United are aiming to follow up on the signing of Sandro Tonali by landing an Inter star who is also wanted by Manchester United, according to a report.

Newcastle announced the arrival of Tonali on a five-year contract on July 3. The Magpies have paid Milan in the region of £55-60million for the Italy midfielder.

The transfer is a real statement from Newcastle as Tonali has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Serie A in recent years. His arrival will help Newcastle prepare for their return to the Champions League as he has two years’ worth of experience playing in the competition.

Tonali could be followed to St James’ Park by compatriot Federico Dimarco. The left-back has impressed scouts across Europe after a great season in 2022-23, during which he helped Inter reach the Champions League final.

On March 8, Italian source Inter Live revealed Newcastle had put Dimarco on their list of potential options to improve the left-back position. Manager Eddie Howe is searching for someone who is more agile and better in attack than current player Dan Burn.

Last month, The Independent suggested Dimarco could instead join Man Utd after they told Inter they were interested in the 10-cap Italy international.

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However, it looks like Newcastle are trying to get the jump on their Premier League rivals. According to an update from Football Transfers, Newcastle have made a ‘firm approach’ to see if they can win the race for Dimarco this summer.

Newcastle have enquired about the full-back’s availability and are waiting to see what kind of price tag Inter give him. The resultant fee will show Newcastle whether they should press ahead with their pursuit of Dimarco or go after other players who might be cheaper.

Newcastle eye Dimarco deal, with Tierney also on list

As Dimarco’s contract with Inter runs until June 2026, the Nerazzurri should be able to command a decent fee for him. Although, Dimarco is now represented by Roc Nation, who have a good relationship with Premier League clubs and could therefore help broker a deal.

Howe likes Dimarco a lot due to his versatility. As he can play as a left-back, left midfielder, or left-sided centre-back, he can operate in several different formations. This will give Howe plenty of options, should he need to change tactics within a game.

Newcastle do have alternative players in mind, should Inter demand too much for Dimarco. They are also keeping tabs on Kieran Tierney’s situation at Arsenal. The Scot is hoping to switch clubs this summer after falling behind Oleksandr Zinchenko in Mikel Arteta’s pecking order last term.

It will be a shame for Burn to be replaced at left-back as he is a Newcastle fan who has resultantly emerged into a fan favourite. But if Newcastle are to catch up with the top clubs in England and in Europe, then they need a more mobile left-back to provide them with more width and put more crosses into the opposition box.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are at serious risk of missing out on a French star to Man Utd, according to Fabrizio Romano.