Newcastle United have been a revelation in the 2024/25 campaign. Eddie Howe’s men won their first trophies in decades, lifting the Carabao Cup by beating Liverpool in the final, and achieved their goal of reaching the Champions League once again.
A key part of that was Sandro Tonali. The Italian midfielder was pivotal in the heart of the midfield for the Magpies, showing exactly why they invested £55m into his signing almost two years ago. He played 36 Premier League games overall, chipping in with six goals and assists from the base of midfield.
It was a genius singing from Italian giants AC Milan, so much so that the North Eastern side might be looking to repeat the feat this summer.
Newcastle’s next potential signing from Milan
It was a poor season for Milan in 2024/25, but they have some excellent players. Their squad has been pulled apart already this summer, with the likes of Tijani Reijnders and Mike Maignan seemingly on the move to the Premier League, heading to Manchester City and possibly also Chelsea, respectively.
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Well, Newcastle could get in on the act by bringing French full-back Theo Hernandez to St James’ Park this summer.
Calcio Mercato reported that initial ‘surveys’ have been conducted by the Magpies, suggesting they have made first contacts regarding a deal for Hernandez.
The Premier League outfit will not be the only side trying to sign the Frenchman this summer.
Having already said no to Saudi side Al Hilal, Atletico Madrid, and other unnamed sides from England and Spain, are trying to pounce to sign the defender. As for a fee, it could mirror the £29.4m Al Hilal had agreed for Hernandez before that deal collapsed.
Why Hernandez would be a good signing
The 2024/25 campaign was nothing short of a terrible one for Milan. The Italian giants came eighth in the league, which Dougie Critchley said was “their lowest finish since 2014/15, with their fewest points since 2015/16”, a truly disappointing season.
Yet, 27-year-old left-back Hernandez still put in some strong performances despite the struggles the Rossoneri experienced. He played 49 games across the campaign, scoring five times and grabbing six assists in the process.
Not only will Hernandez bring attacking output and a real engine on the left-hand side for the Magpies, but he is also a leader. Last season, he captained Milan 13 times, so adding that kind of attribute to a dressing room already filled with leaders can only benefit the North East outfit.
When looking at some of Hernandez’s underlying numbers, courtesy of Sofascore, from the 2024/25 campaign, it is easy to see what he can bring to the Newcastle side. Described as a “beast” by football scout Antonio Mango, he has some standout stats.
For example, across all competitions last season, the Frenchman, who was born in Marseille, played 71 key passes and won 55 aerial duels. Per 90 minutes, that leaves him with an average of 1.6 key passes and 1.2 aerial duels won.
| Hernandez key stats in 2024/25 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat (all comps) | Total | Per 90 |
| Key passes | 71 | 1.6 |
| Big chances created | 12 | 0.3 |
| Dribbles completed | 34 | 0.7 |
| Tackles and interceptions | 80 | 1.7 |
| Aerial duels won | 55 | 1.2 |
| Expected goal involvements | 8.58xGI | 0.19xGI |
| Stats from Sofascore | ||
There is not really a need to worry about adaptability from Serie A to the Premier League, either. Tonali is the living proof that, if you are athletic enough, your game can translate over to the English top flight easily. As the stats suggest, Hernandez certainly has those physical attributes.
In fact, Tonali was so good last season that he made Jamie Carragher’s Premier League team of the year. The former defender-turned-pundit said the former Milan star has “made a huge difference” at the base of midfield for Howe.
There is certainly evidence to suggest that Hernandez will be able to adapt to the Premier League with ease.
Not only does he have stats which show how well he has played this season, to support that argument, but his former Milan teammate Tonali has transitioned seamlessly.
If he can become anywhere near as good as Tonali has been in that famous Black and White striped shirt, then he will be a success at St James’ Park. Perhaps, he can be the second coming of his ex-teammate in the Serie A.
