After placing bets on his former club, AC Milan, Sandro Tonali has now received a 10-month ban from playing for (everyone’s favourite) Newcastle United. But after only just buying this star player, what are the next steps for the club?
The 23-year-old, Italian international midfielder, who joined Newcastle for £55m in the summer, now won’t be able to play competitive football until August 2024. And with Newcastle’s current injury crisis, the team are short on players, and stretched thin for both Premier League and Champions League matches. So, the question is, do the club continue this strained state of play, or open up the wallet and go shopping in January?
In terms of the current squad and looking back on the loss against Dortmund on Tuesday the 7th of November, the current midfield is overrun. Without the former AC Milan captain, there appears to be a lack of cohesion at midfield. Joelinton looked in need of support in Germany, and Guimarães (true to form) needed some competition. Maybe new boy, Lewis Miley, can step up with a bit more experience in such a competitive space, but unfortunately, right now, without the support from the current squad, maybe it’s time to broaden the horizons away from these honorary Geordies.
According to all the top football reporters (and my football fanatic father!), names that may look to move to the Northeast include, Kalvin Phillips, Ruben Neves, and Amadou Onana. Phillips looks to leave Manchester City in January with clubs such as Juventus and Newcastle with their eyes on his movement. Portuguese international, Neves, also looks to transfer in the Winter, and could be a good replacement for Tonali. And the Everton midfielder Onana has also been name dropped as one of multiple ‘saving graces’ for the club.
With a couple of months still to go before the end of the transfer window, who knows what Eddie has up his sleeve. But I think it’s obvious that without the Italian Stallion on side (for now), and the club cursed with multiple injuries, Newcastle need to get their thinking caps on and pay up for his replacement. And soon!
