Newcastle star Sandro Tonali quietly agreed to extend his contract during his betting suspension that began in 2023, meaning he’s now tied to the club until at least 2029, rather than 2028.
The Magpies have even got an option to keep him for another year after that, potentially keeping the Italian midfielder on Tyneside until 2030.
This revelation puts Newcastle in a much stronger position than fans realised, especially with Europe’s top clubs circling around their star player after his impressive performances.
The midfielder arrived from AC Milan in the summer of 2023 for £55million, initially signing what appeared to be a five-year contract running until 2028.
Newcastle star Sandro Tonali quietly agreed to extend his contract during his betting suspension
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REUTERS
However, just three months into his Newcastle career, Italian authorities handed Tonali a 10-month ban in October 2023 for illegal gambling, including betting on his own team to win matches.
He’d later receive a two-month suspended sentence from the FA for 50 breaches of English betting rules.
It was during this difficult period that the secret contract negotiations took place, with both parties keen to show their commitment to each other.
The Italian has featured in all but one of Newcastle’s games so far this campaign
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REUTERS
Tonali initially approached the club about taking a pay cut during his suspension, Newcastle accepted his gesture but also seized the opportunity to secure their investment.
Under Dan Ashworth’s leadership as sporting director, they quietly added an extra year to his deal.
The 25-year-old was apparently very receptive to extending at that time, keen to repay the faith Newcastle had shown in him during his difficult period.
His agent Giuseppe Riso had described his client as suffering from a “gambling illness”, and the club’s support clearly meant a lot.
Since his return to the pitch in August 2024, Tonali has become a pivotal member of an exceptional midfield trio alongside Brazilian duo Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton in Eddie Howe’s side.
He’s started every Premier League match this season and both Champions League fixtures, only missing Tuesday’s victory over Benfica through illness.
Eddie Howe will be delighted to see star man Sandro Tonali remain at the club
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PA
Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes even recently called him the best midfielder in the Premier League, even claiming he’s “better than Declan Rice” on the Overlap podcast.
The Italian has particularly excelled since December, when Howe started using him as a defensive midfielder rather than further forward.
Despite having Tonali secured until potentially 2030, Newcastle recognise they might need to offer improved terms to keep their star happy. The club will be desperate to avoid another situation like Alexander Isak’s £125million departure to Liverpool this summer.
Ross Wilson, the new sporting director, knows that matching the wages Europe’s biggest clubs can offer remains a challenge. But with Tonali expressing gratitude for Newcastle’s support during his ban, there’s hope he’ll stay loyal.
The midfielder has shown no desire to leave to date, and the arrival of Mr Wilson and new chief executive David Hopkinson should help accelerate the Newcastle project that players want to see.
