Report: Newcastle now want 'iconic' Portugal midfielder to replace Tonali for rest of season

Sandro Tonali is set to start his 10-month ban for breaching betting laws while at AC Milan, which leaves Newcastle United a man down this season.

Eddie Howe is expected to delve into the loan market in January in order to find a replacement for Sandro Tonali for the remainder of the season.

One player who has long been admired by Newcastle is the former Wolves midfielder Rúben Neves, who moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal this summer.

Newcastle will look to use their PIF connection to get the deal done

The Sun has reported that Neves appears to be Newcastle's primary target and the club will use its PIF connections to get the deal done (both sides are now owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund).

Cue the social media meltdown from bitter rival fans who have forgotten about every other club in the world backed by owners with multiple interests.

Red Bull has several teams and even put their brand in the club's name. They also trade freely with one another, but barely anyone bats an eyelid.

Do it for the salt!

If Newcastle do opt to make this move, the online football police will be all over it. There are already tears on phones and keyboards all over X right now at the idea.

Rúben Neves was quality at Wolves, with some of their fans labelling him as 'iconic', and he's doing excellent for Al-Hilal too, so it might be hard to do the deal on that basis.

We think Neves would be a great fit at Newcastle, and while he is just one of a few options, we kind of want this one to go through now just to see all the salt from rival fans.