Newcastle united reportedly extended Sandro Tonali’s contract “in secret” during his 10-month gambling ban.
Newcastle United secretly renewed Sandro Tonali’s contract - and the news has not gone down well on the continent.
A dark cloud descended on the midfielder shortly after his £55million move to St James’ Park in 2023. Just 12 games into his Toon career, Tonali faced a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.
A wider conspiracy about how much AC Milan knew about the situation emerged - a claim they vehemently deny. Regardless, Newcastle’s preparations for a Champions League campaign were disrupted.
Sandro Tonali turnaround
The Magpies rallied around during his moment of darkness and are now reaping the rewards. Tonali is considered one of the Premier League’s best midfielders and was crucial to last season’s Carabao Cup triumph.
Italian media outlets have obsessively linked the 25-year-old with a Serie A return. Juventus - not Milan - are the club currently rumoured to express an interest in Tonali.
However, their grand masterplan hit a stumbling block when news broke yesterday about Tonali’s discreet extension. The Daily Mail reported that Newcastle tied him down to a fresh agreement during his gambling ban.
Tonali’s current deal now runs until 2029 - with the Magpies having the option of an extra year. It was initially thought that he would have two-and-a-half years remaining at Newcastle.
Italian media react to contract news
As expected, the Italian press have not reacted well to the news. Tuttomercatoweb still claim that Newcastle could sell Tonali for €80million - a far cry given his improvement since arriving.
La Gazzetta dello Sport appeared resigned to the fact that Tonali will not be leaving St James’ Park anytime soon. As with the Alexander Isak situation in the summer, the Magpies will hold all the cards should any club target the midfielder.
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Sandro Tonali dropped Italy return hint
While on international duty “You can never know what will happen, I tell everyone it’s possible,” Tonali said. “I’m not closing the door on Italy. It’s my country. Maybe not now because I’ve found my balance at Newcastle. But the league is getting better and better, the level of the teams is rising.”
Tonali also touched on how Gennaro Gattuso - the current Italy manager - was his boyhood hero. He added: “When I was a kid they gave me a mug with photos of Gattuso on it. I used it at breakfast every day for 4-5 years. Then one day a disaster happened… I had to glue it back together piece by piece. I still have it.”
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