Paul Scholes has hailed Sandro Tonali as the best midfielder in the Premier League, placing the Newcastle United star ahead of Arsenal’s Declan Rice in his personal rankings.
Tonali has been instrumental for Newcastle since returning from his ten-month suspension 14 months ago. Forming a dynamic midfield trio with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, the Italian has been central to Eddie Howe’s rebuild — helping the Magpies qualify for the Champions League and end a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy last season.
This campaign, despite Newcastle’s inconsistent form, Tonali’s performances have remained of the highest calibre. Now, his influence is drawing recognition beyond Tyneside — including from one of English football’s most accomplished midfielders.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes discussed a range of current Premier League midfielders, including Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, before naming Tonali as his top pick.
“I still don’t class Moises Caicedo as an all-round midfield player,” Scholes said. “He’s one of the very best at what he does, which is breaking the play up — but I just prefer those controlling type midfielders who play with a bit more style and can score goals a little more often.”
Paul Scholes went on to praise several others, including Liverpool’s Mac Allister and Newcastle teammate Bruno Guimaraes, but reserved his highest praise for Tonali.
“Bruno Guimaraes is brilliant, and I love Sandro Tonali at Newcastle as well,” he continued. “I was trying to think of a player — Tonali especially — he can run, he’s been brilliant. I’d probably choose Tonali at this point [as the best midfielder in the Premier League]. Over Declan Rice, yeah. Tonali is better than Rice.”
The former Manchester United great elaborated on his reasoning, suggesting Rice can sometimes overcomplicate his play.
“I really like Rice, don’t get me wrong — he’s got everything. But there are too many times where he takes too many touches of the ball. I think he tries to look a little bit more stylish than he needs to. He’s got great physical attributes, he’s box-to-box, but he doesn’t score enough. I prefer Tonali.”
For Scholes, Tonali’s blend of control, intelligence, and drive makes him the standout midfielder in the league — and perhaps the natural heir to the kind of all-round midfield influence Scholes himself once embodied.
