The prospect of Newcastle being knocked out of European competition is, as things stand, highly likely.
Eddie Howe’s side currently sit12th in the Premier League with 42 points. The Champions League is now a distant dream, with Aston Villa fourth on 54 points and Liverpool fifth on 49 points.
The race for the Europa League is no less complicated (Chelsea are sixth with 48 points); the targets would be Brentford and Everton, level on 46 points, i.e. seventh and eighth in the table, who, with the fifth Champions League spot going to the English side, would be vying for the other Europa League place and the Conference League spot. However, according toThe Shields Gazette, the latter competition may not be enough to convince Tonali to stay.