FA issue major Sandro Tonali update as £52m Newcastle United signing faces 10 month ban

Tonali was found guilty of breaching Italian betting regulations by the Italian Football Federation and issued a lengthy ban. The 23-year-old’s offences relate to his time spent in Italy with AC Milan and Brescia.

The midfielder joined Newcastle for £52million in the summer with the English Football Association now investigating whether the player broke their own betting rules since his transfer. If found guilty, Tonali’s ban could be extended beyond the initial 10 months.

On Friday morning, Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth was asked about the possibility of Tonali being handed a further ban.

“All I can say to you is that we have fully cooperated with all of the associations and organisations concerned and the FA are, of course, fully aware of what’s going on,” he said.

“They are the ones who had to sanction the ban so we’re fully cooperating with everybody.

“All I can deal with is the present and the facts. I can’t look into the future and, as I’ve said, we’ve cooperated fully with all of the organisations.”

Following Ashworth’s comments, the FA have confirmed that they are investigating the Newcastle midfielder.

Tonali has missed United’s last two matches as a result of his ban with his first season on Tyneside brought to a premature end. The club confirmed in a statement that the player will be eligible to return to competitive action from August 27, 2024.

In the meantime, Tonali is allowed to train with the Newcastle first-team and play intra-squad friendly matches.