"He'll come good": former chief scout gives expert verdict on NUFC's £55M summer signing

"Good player, good age, short and long-range passer. He’ll come good, you know."

That's the verdict on Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United's former chief scout Graham Carr, who has spoken to Mark Douglas for a wide-ranging piece published by iNews today.

The 78-year-old talent spotter was superb for NUFC

Carr, the father of bespectacled comedian Alan, is a boyhood Magpies supporter who was instrumental in the club finishing fifth in the Premier League in 2011/12 under Alan Pardew.

His eye for talent—particularly in France—allowed Newcastle to build a strong squad at a low cost, which was music to the ears of our former tight-fisted owner Mike Ashley.

He didn't always get the players he wanted, though, with recommendations on the likes of Eden Hazard, Hugo Lloris, and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang ignored by Ashley and company.

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Carr's now semi-retired but still involved in the game

Now a director at his local club Northampton Town, Carr is still an avid watcher of the beautiful game and appears to have seen plenty of Tonali in Serie A and the Champions League for AC Milan.

He's seemingly convinced that given time, the 23-year-old central midfielder from Lodi will prove to be yet another astute purchase by Newcastle's current recruitment team, led by Dan Ashworth.

The club's second-most expensive signing ever at £55 million, Tonali has found things difficult on and off the pitch following an explosive home debut against Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the season.

He is expected to start for Eddie Howe tonight against Paris Saint-Germain, though, having played for 72 minutes of the Magpies' 0-0 draw in his beloved San Siro a couple of weeks ago.