By Kieran Maguire

25th Oct, 2023 | 6:30am

Kieran Maguire suggests signing Newcastle United will make in January after Sandro Tonali update

Newcastle United may have to sign a new midfielder in January to replace Sandro Tonali while also paying the Italian’s £7million wages.

That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the financial impact of Tonali’s betting ban.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Tonali could face a potential 12-month ban for illegal betting breaches in Italy.

The 23-year-old midfielder admitted to betting on AC Milan while representing the Serie A side as a player.

Tonali signed for Newcastle in a £55million deal this summer, but he could now be unavailable until the 2024/25 season for Eddie Howe’s side.

As revealed by Football Insider, Newcastle are set to continue paying Tonali’s £ 7 million-a-year wages at St James’ Park during his ban.

“Well, having to pay an unavailable player’s wages is always a risk,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.

“Newcastle’s wage bill has shown a significant acceleration since the acquisition by PIF.

“The owners can afford it, but the owners also have to abide with the constraints of the profitability and sustainability rules.

“Tonali is now potentially going to have to be replaced in the January window.

“If the charges are upheld, it will effectively mean that money that Newcastle want to be spent elsewhere and wages that they’ve been allocated for other positions on the pitch now will have to go to a new midfielder.

“Equally, Tonali could have done his ACL and Newcastle would have been in exactly the same position.

“So it’s always a risk in football.“

In other news, ‘Let’s face it…’ – Kieran Maguire cites Liverpool after Newcastle United agree controversial new deal