Nacho Monreal Warns Arsenal on Sandro Tonali Signing

Nacho Monreal has urged Arsenal to think twice before plunging back into the market for Sandro Tonali, warning that signing the Newcastle United midfielder could come at the cost of one of the club’s current centrepieces.

The former Arsenal left-back, speaking to Rekatochklart, heaped praise on Tonali but was even more effusive about the midfield already in place at the Emirates. In his eyes, the Gunners have little reason to tear up a structure built around Martín Zubimendi and 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.

Then came the caveat.

Arsenal moved aggressively to secure Zubimendi last year, paying a hefty fee to land the Spain international and pair him with Rice at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s side. That investment shapes Monreal’s view of the Tonali links.

“But they signed Zubimendi for a lot of money last year, so it’s difficult,” he added. To stack Tonali on top of that, alongside Rice, feels excessive to him. “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.”

It is a stark equation: Tonali in, one star out.

Tonali has been on the radar of Arsenal and several leading European clubs this summer as he works his way back into the Premier League picture with Newcastle. His profile as a deep-lying playmaker with bite and range makes him a natural fit for elite midfields, and Monreal clearly sees him in that bracket.

Yet the Spaniard’s final verdict underlines just how highly he rates Arsenal’s existing core.

“In my opinion, they already have the two best defensive midfielders in the world,” he said of Zubimendi and Rice.

The message from a defender who spent six and a half years in north London is clear: Arsenal may admire Tonali, but any move for him would not just be a statement of ambition. It would be a decision that shakes the foundations of a midfield Monreal already considers world-leading.