Eddie Howe has tried to keep Newcastle United's wage structure contained in the last 18 months but the eagerly-anticipated arrival of Serie A superstar Sandro Tonali sees a new era ushered in on Tyneside.
Tonali, 23, will arrive at St James' Park and double his weekly wage in the Premier League. The AC Milan hero, who has caused heartache across Northern Italy with his decision to leave the San Siro, will become Newcastle's top earner in the process.
Tonali's contract, which will run until 2029, will see the Italian international pocket £150,000-a-week before performance-related bonuses. A figure that has no doubt made the decision to leave his native Italy slightly easier.
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Newcastle's current top earners are the likes of Kieran Trippier, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes, all earning approximately £120,000-a-week. Joelinton, Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Joe Willock are all pocketing close to £100,000-a-week for their services.
Up until this point in the journey Newcastle and Howe have resisted the temptation to blow the club's current earners out of the water. While there has been plenty of speculative and tentative links to superstar names with big egos, Howe has always been keen to keep a harmonious balance in his dressing room, rather than trying to achieve success with big-money additions.
The north east outfit have always, and will continue to abide by Financial Fair Play regulations. However, the club's rapid ascent up the table and unexpected Champions League finish last term has accelerated plans.
Tonali, a diehard Milan fan, will arrive for roughly £63m as the starting gun is fired on Newcastle's summer spending. There are more additions to follow with another midfielder, a new left-back, an extra centre-back and more attacking firepower desired between now and the end of summer.
Quizzed over summer spending after the final game of the season, Howe said: “Is the budget big? Well, when you’re sat in my shoes, it’s never as big as you want it to be. Financial Fair Play, as I always say, will impact what we do this summer. Certainly, without Champions League football, it would have been very difficult for us to have done much in the transfer market at all. The fact we have that has given us a bit of a lift.
“I always say this – I think the most important people at the football club are the players we already have. I’m the type of manager that will try to get the best out of everybody here who is already under our employment. Then, we’re looking to add quality players.
“But it’s not just the transfer fees (that are an issue), it’s also the wages. We’re not huge players of wages in the Premier League, so the big clubs will all dwarf us in terms of that. That makes it hard to attract the very, very best players on the market.”
