How Sandro Tonali's 10-month ban could turn into a blessing for Newcastle United - journalist

We've seen plenty of reports linking Sandro Tonali with a return to Italy pretty much ever since the day he arrived at Newcastle United, such was the heartache it caused among the AC Milan fanbase.

After seeing him at his best this season, we absolutely understand it now, but it doesn't matter how many lines of copium they do on a morning, the fact remains that Sandro Tonali is a Newcastle player and is thriving in the Premier League.

Rumours persist that he's homesick and wants to return to Italy, but nothing from the club or those close to Tonali himself has ever suggested that, so it's clearly just Italian journalists pedalling false hope to Italian football fans.

The truth for those in Italy is that it would be way too difficult for any Italian club to acquire him this summer according to Chris Waugh in his latest Q&A for The Athletic.

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Chris Waugh suggests there's very little danger of Sandro Tonali returning to Italy any time soon

Serie A clubs simply do not have the financial muscle to acquire someone of Tonali's status these days, and as Waugh points out, his 10-month ban makes him a risk.

"While fully respecting those reports, such a suggestion did seem odd. For a start, Italian clubs are being heavily linked with Tonali for obvious reasons, yet the financial strength of the Premier League and the price Newcastle would demand for the midfielder — in excess of the £55million ($72.4m at present exchange rates) they paid for him two years ago — makes it difficult to see how Serie A sides could afford him.

"Also, although Tonali has shown his undisputed quality this season, some recruitment officials across Europe have privately suggested that clubs would be hesitant to invest such a huge figure now, given he has already served a 10-month suspension for gambling offences."

If other clubs are scared of Tonali's past then that's just fine by us

Despite the media's attempts to point the finger at Tonali after the latest Italian betting revelations, Tonali is at no risk of further punishment as things stand, but his history is enough to give other clubs pause for thought.

That's absolutely fine by us; we'll take anything that serves to keep him at Newcastle.

Waugh went on to rubbish the talk of Newcastle replacing Tonali with Crystal Palace midfielder Ebereche Eze for the same reasons we gave when the story appeared. Waugh also says that Eze isn't a target for Newcastle as far as he knows anyway.