Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali’s value has decreased rapidly during his suspension for gambling offences.
Eddie Howe’s side fended off huge clubs from around Europe to secure the services of the Italy international last summer.
Tonali became Newcastle’s second-most expensive signing of all-time when making the switch from AC Milan for £60m and enjoyed a stellar start to life at St. James Park.
Advert
However, just months after his debut, Tonali was investigated and banned by the Italian Football Federation for breaching betting rules and will not be eligible to play again until August 2024.
To make matters worse, Tonali has now been charged by the English Football Association for placing 50 bets on matches during his time in England between August 2023 and October 2023.
While the Italy international was granted permission to train with his Newcastle teammates, that has not prevented his transfer value from plummeting during his time on the sidelines.
Advert
Tonali is now worth just £34m, according to the CIES Football Observatory, £26m less than what Newcastle paid to the Serie A giants as a result of his ban.
It is unknown whether Tonali will face further punishment from the FA or whether any ban would be served concurrently to his current suspension.
The midfielder’s sanction will be decided by an independent commission and he has until April 5 to respond to the charges.
Advert
Newcastle acknowledged the fresh charge and confirmed they would not be commenting on an ongoing investigation but confirmed Tonali is cooperating with the authorities.
“Newcastle United acknowledges a misconduct charge received by Sandro Tonali in respect of alleged breaches of FA Betting Rules,” their statement said.
“Sandro continues to fully comply with relevant investigations and he retains the club's full support.
“Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.”
Marcus Banks