Scholes picks out Prem midfielder who is ‘better’ than Arsenal star Rice and Chelsea man Caicedo

Paul Scholes reckons Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali is better than Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo.

Tonali swapped AC Milan for Tyneside for £55m in 2023 and has since become a fan favourite at St James’ Park under Eddie Howe.

The Italy international has scored seven goals in 65 appearances for Newcastle with Tonali particularly impressing last season as the Magpies qualified for the Champions League.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, who should know a bit about being a good midfielder, insists that he prefers Tonali over Arsenal’s Rice and Chelsea’s Caicedo, who are widely regarded as two of the best in the Premier League.

When asked who he thinks is the best midfielder in the Premier League, Scholes said on The Overlap: “Right now? That’s tough.

“I still don’t class Moises Caicedo as an all-round midfield player. I know he scored a great goal and was brilliant the other day.

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Arsenal, Postecoglou, Liverpool, Amorim, Spurs, Maresca

“I got some stick last year having a go at him and I almost thought about taking that back because he was brilliant in the Club World Cup.

“I just prefer the controlling type of midfield players who play with a bit more style and can score goals a bit more often than Caicedo. It was a brilliant goal but you wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t do that again for another 18 months.

“He’s one of the best at what he does which is breaking up the play, he’s brilliant at that. But I prefer the other types.

“Alexis MacAllister was absolutely brilliant last season, he controlled a lot of games and I think Liverpool are missing that at the moment.

“I love Sandro Tonali as well. He’s been brilliant. Very good. I would probably choose Tonali at this point.”

READ: Top ten Premier League defectors features more players from Liverpool than Man Utd

When asked if he meant that Tonali was the best midfielder in the Premier League, Scholes added: “Yes, you’re going to say Declan Rice but I think he’s better than Rice.

“I really like Rice, don’t get me wrong, I think he’s got everything. Sometimes he takes a few too many touches of the ball and tries to look a bit more stylish than necessary.

“He can do everything but I just don’t think he does it enough. I prefer Tonali but they’re both good players.”

Tonali has often been compared to Italy legend Andrea Pirlo in his homeland and Howe claimed last year that “it’s not just the hair”.

The Newcastle boss said: “When I first saw Sandro play, there were definite links to Pirlo, without a doubt – and it’s not just the hair. There’s more to it than that.

“He’s definitely got those similar qualities in terms of build and style, but I think the thing that sets Sandro apart from anyone else was he could do all of those things technically and tactically, and looked really good, but it’s his athleticism as well, his ability to run.

“We’ve seen that in recent games from a defensive viewpoint now more than an attacking viewpoint, where he’s sprinting to put out fires for us, nicking balls, intercepting balls, using his athleticism to track runners. He’s been excellent in that respect and think that’s really helped the team.

“Yes, there are the obvious ones [comparisons] in terms of his technique and his passing and everything else, but I think that’s the thing that sets him apart.”

MAILBOX: Arsenal criticism ‘hilarious’ when Liverpool ‘have blown a five-point lead’