Newcastle may target five Tonali replacements with owners ready to ‘splash out’

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Newcastle might be tempted to sign a new midfielder in the January transfer window, with Sandro Tonali facing a one-year ban for breaching rules around betting on matches. The 23-year-old is expected to face a lengthy suspension and it has been reported that Newcastle’s owners are ready to splash out on a replacement just a few months after bringing Tonali to St James’ Park.

Express Sport takes a look at five players Newcastle could target when the bidding opens in January…

Scott McTominay

Newcastle could do far worse than to pursue a move for Scott McTominay, who has only started two league games for Manchester United so far this season. The 26-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance when given the chance to shine, though, such as his match-winning brace against Brentford earlier this month.

McTominay has also consistently excelled at international level for Scotland and might just be able to thrive at Newcastle, where he would have a far bigger role in the team than he currently does at Old Trafford. However, it remains to be seen whether the Magpies would be able to convince him to leave United, where he remains tied down until the summer of 2025.

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher seems to be a firm favourite of Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, with the England ace having taken the captaincy in the absence of regular skipper Reece James. He has also started every Premier League game for the Blues this season, which suggests that he might be a difficult target for Newcastle to get over the line.

However, the midfielder’s future at Stamford Bridge remains somewhat uncertain despite reports claiming that he could sign a new contract with the Blues. Newcastle might be tempted to pounce if negotiations break down over the coming months, given that Gallagher is likely to fit the profile of player that Eddie Howe would be looking for.

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Kalvin Phillips

Kalvin Phillips may also be a potential target for the Magpies after failing to break into Manchester City’s starting line-up over the last two seasons. He is likely to be desperate for regular minutes in order to nail down an England place ahead of this summer’s Euros and it would make sense for him to join Newcastle and play a more prominent role.

The Tyneside club have already been credited with a desire to land Phillips, who was linked with a move during the summer but ended up staying at the Etihad Stadium. Time might be running out for him to make the grade at City and it seems as though a January switch to Newcastle would be a logical solution to suit all parties involved.

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Ruben Neves

A slightly more left-field transfer target could emerge in the form of Ruben Neves, who recently joined Saudi club Al-Hilal after spending six years at Wolves. The 26-year-old established himself as a club legend during his time at Molineux and is already proven in the Premier League, which could make him an attractive proposition for Newcastle in January.

There is a big chance that a move for Neves would simply be a non-starter, given that Al-Hilal are not exactly short of money and that he only joined them in the summer. However, it remains to be seen whether Newcastle’s owners will be able to pull some strings behind the scenes in order to help the Magpies out.

Andre

Fluminense playmaker Andre has been linked with a Premier League move over the last few months after turning plenty of heads with his performances in Brazil. Liverpool were said to have been monitoring his progress over the summer, while Arsenal have reportedly shown an interest in the 22-year-old as of late.

The upcoming January window could represent a great chance for Newcastle to jump ahead of their rivals if they eventually decide to join the race for his signature. The likes of Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes would also be able to ease Andre’s transition to English football by offering a helping hand as fellow Brazilians if a move comes about.

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