Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew believes that selling Sandro Tonali and keeping Lewis Miley could be a masterstroke.
The Toon sold Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that could cost £100million.
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Meanwhile, Miley has remained on Tyneside and penned a new deal as well.
The former teammates came up against each other on Saturday as Matthias Jaissle’s side visited north London.
The Magpies left with a 2-0 victory as Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scored for Newcastle.
Miley played the full game alongside new midfield partner Nico Gonzalez and shone, while Tonali was taken off well before the end and jeered by the away fans.
And speaking on The Final Word with Natalie Sawyer, Pardew feels as if Newcastle have come out of the situation very well.
He said: “I want to speak about Miley. They have sold Tonali, and I want you to ask me if I’d rather have Tonali or Miley.”
So, Sawyer obliged, with Pardew subsequently responding: “Miley, all day long. He’s young, he’s quick, and he’s got great technique.
“He’s got great temperament, and I think he is going to be around for the next ten years, and I think he is going to play for England.
“He was outstanding yesterday for a young player, so Newcastle might have done some really good business.
“That is something they might have known in that camp, I am sure Eddie Howe knows it, that Miley could be better than Tonali. It feels like they’ve moved Tonali on and are letting the young lad spread his wings.”
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Miley only turned 20 this year, but he is entering his fourth season as a professional footballer for Newcastle.
He has changed a lot since being a very impressive teenager.
The midfielder has significantly bulked up and found a way to use his height to dominate, while after battling with Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali and Joelinton for minutes, he now looks to have a set place in Jaissle’s midfield.
Miley is closing in on 100 appearances for Newcastle and Jeff Stelling has tipped him to be Young Player of the Year across the whole division.
And his new manager is a huge fan, saying during pre-season: “I don’t want to give him a huge responsibility and pressure, and you should also not give him that from outside.
“He has so much potential. We need to let him grow, develop naturally. He gets the full support.
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“But, I’m really much looking forward to see him, 100 per cent fit and ready because of his qualities. It’s, it’s a, a true, true talent.”
Tonali struggling
It might only be two games in for Tonali, but it hasn’t been a great start for him.
Spurs have lost the midfield battles against Brentford and Newcastle so far but Roberto De Zerbi claimed after the defeat to Newcastle that his Italian midfielder isn’t fully fit yet, despite taking part since the start of pre-season.
However, De Zerbi backed the former AC Milan man to have a big impact as the season goes on.
He said: “I love Sandro Tonali. So, this day is so sad. We are all of us very disappointed for the result, but I love my players more today than the next win we will make.
“I believe more than the Brentford game of our project, I believe in our players, I think [Omar] Marmoush for the first game played very well.
“It was the first game for Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, they came late and they are crucial for this team, after the World Cup, after two injuries.
“Sandro Tonali is another crucial player. He is not in the right condition, in the best condition yet, maybe physically.”
Next up for Newcastle is Bournemouth at home, live and exclusively on talkSPORT and Spurs go to Nottingham Forest later that day.
