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If Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants the lowdown on Sandro Tonali, he needs to look no further than Gunners defender and Tonali's Italy team-mate Riccardo Calafiori. Newcastle star Tonali has been floated as a possible transfer target after Mikel Merino was ruled out for an extended period through injury, although the Magpies show no signs of wanting to part with him, and initial reports suggest no discussions have taken place at this stage.

Former Bologna star Calafiori welcomed his team-mate back to international action last season following an extended club and international suspension. Tonali spent 10 months out after being handed a ban for breaching betting regulations, missing Euro 2024 as a consequence, but made his return for the Azzurri less than two months after the tournament concluded.

Tonali's appearance for Italy against France in September 2024 marked his first outing for his nation in nearly a full year. He delivered an impressive performance in a 3-1 Nations League victory, providing the assist for Federico Dimarco's equaliser and drawing high praise from colleague Calafiori.

"What is he giving us that's different from the European Championship? He's a beast, he combines quantity with quality, you can see that the Premier League helps guys like him, me, and other guys a lot," Calafiori told Sky Sport (via TuttoMercatoWeb) at the time.

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Tonali was a regular during that Nations League campaign as Italy progressed to the quarter-finals before suffering a 5-4 aggregate defeat to Germany. He has also been a consistent presence in World Cup qualifying, sitting out just one fixture as Italy booked a play-off place by finishing in second place in their group behind Norway.

Newcastle brought Tonali to England on a five-year contract in 2023, paying Milan a reported £55million. BBC Sport revealed the midfielder agreed a contract extension during his suspension, although no formal confirmation has been made.

"His physicality is one of the standout attributes that he possesses," Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said of Tonali in the autumn. "He makes the difference continually for us in that way.

"Most midfielders have to have that element of athleticism and ideally a gear change when we're getting countered on, or when we need to go forward. He possesses a couple of gear changes, but then you add to that his technical ability and tactical understanding, it does make him a really good player."

If Howe's team refuse to consider a sale, Arsenal will face a crucial decision. Merino's season has been curtailed by foot surgery, with the setback coming after team-mate Bukayo Saka picked up an injury in the warm-up before the weekend victory at Leeds.

Arsenal are weighing up their options, but they won't be bringing back Ethan Nwaneri from his Marseille loan. The Gunners are not believed to have a recall option for the youngster, meaning he'll stay at Stade Velodrome until the summer.

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