Newcastle United have so far proved that last season was no blip, having enjoyed a solid start to the Premier League season, winning five of their first nine games to sit four points adrift of the Champions League places. Their most impressive moment has come in the Champions League, when they thrashed Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 in ruthless fashion at St James' Park, but they lost ground in Europe this week with a 1-0 deafeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Sandro Tonali banned for ten months
Eddie Howe's side have now been dealt another major blow to add to Wednesday night's woes, with summer signing Sandro Tonali set to receive a ban following a breach of gambling regulations. The Italian is set to miss ten months, resulting in a major decision from Newcastle.
Tonali's ban means that the midfielder will miss the rest of this season and Euro 2024 next summer, in what is a major blow for player, club and country. Having made the move to Newcastle for a reported £55m during the summer transfer window, Tonali's lengthy ban is far from ideal for the Magpies in particular, who spent so much on bringing him to the club.
Following the news, the club have, at least, made a vital decision, with the latest Newcastle transfer news suggesting that they won't just simply wait around for Tonali to return, according to Fabrizio Romano. The transfer expert told The Daily Briefing: “We start today’s column with important news on Sandro Tonali – it has been confirmed that the Newcastle and Italian national team midfielder will be banned and suspended for ten months.
"The decision has been made – we’re just waiting now for the final formal steps, but Tonali’s season is over. He can’t play football for the next ten months, so he will not be at the Euros with Italy in what is undoubtedly a big personal blow for him. It is also a big blow for Newcastle, who will now look for a new midfielder in the January transfer window.”
Newcastle replacements for Tonali
It looks as though Newcastle will have plenty to think about when the January transfer window opens. Their summer investment in Tonali has not gone well, thanks to consequences off the pitch, and Romano's news could lead them to a number of players.
They'll have to get it right in the market, that's for sure, given how well the Italian started at St James' Park before his reported ban. Tonali's stats show that he settled into life at Newcastle incredibly quickly, and would likely have only got even better.
Player
Progressive Carries
Progressive Passes
Tackles Won
Sandro Tonali
11
19
7
From Howe's perspective, he'll just hope that Tonali's pending absence doesn't damage his side's chances of making it back-to-back top four finishes in the Premier League, and there are several candidates who can pitch in until the Italy international returns, perhaps the most prominent link being a loan move for Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips, while Chelsea's Conor Gallagher has also been named as a possible target.
