Sandro Tonali keen to repay Newcastle for their betting ban support

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has expressed a desire to enjoy a long-term stay at the club after they supported him through his 10-month betting ban. 

The news will be a disappointment to clubs across Europe as the Italian has courted attention from Juventus, Manchester City, and, most recently, Real Madrid. 

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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe described Sandro Tonali as “exceptional” when the club paid £55million to AC Milan for him in July 2023. Initially, the fee looked quite high as the midfielder struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League. 

In October of that year, Tonali received a 10-month ban from the Italian Football Federation. The midfielder also received a two-month suspended ban from the English FA, after he was found guilty of placing bets on Newcastle matches while registered as a player. 

It took time for Howe to reintroduce the player after missing nearly a full season but, this campaign Tonali has arguably been Newcastle’s best player, making up part of a formidable midfield alongside Brazilians Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton. Newcastle have won four of their last five Premier League games and look a decent bet to finish in the top five and secure a Champions League spot next year. 

It’s understood that Newcastle, and Howe, in particular, want to build the team around the energetic midfielder. 

His performances over the past season have seen several suitors from across Europe express an interest in the player. Juventus and other Serie A clubs are alleged to be interested and had hoped to persuade the former Milan man back to his home country. 

Manchester City have also been keeping an eye on the player and, according to recent reports, Carlo Ancelotti has told Real Madrid they should sign Tonali if, as expected, Arsenal get their hands on Martin Zubemindi. 

However, those clubs are set to be disappointed by the news that Tonali intends to repay the support shown to him by the Magpies. The club’s hierarchy made it clear during the hearings and when the ban was announced they intended to stick with their player, describing it as an illness. 

When discussing the possibility of a further ban from the FA, manager Howe said: “Of course, the news that there was an FA charge, that illness didn’t stop when he moved from Italy to England, that illness was there and people should look at it that way. No ‘Let’s throw the book at him and let’s punish him even further’ because I don’t think that gets to the root of the problem.”

Earlier this month, it was reported that Tonali was under further investigation by the Italian FA. The new investigation relates to his previous infractions, however, and although it could lead to financial penalties, it is not likely to lead to further bans or playing restrictions.  

Tonali, who has talked about his time helping others overcome gambling addiction while completing an education program as part of his rehabilitation, has played more than 35 matches for Newcastle this season and has 14 senior caps for Italy. He is likely to be in action next on Sunday when Newcastle travel to the Falmer Stadium to take on Brighton in the Premier League.