Newcastle midfield Declan Rice and Arsenal could face amid Sandro Tonali betting scandal latest
Arsenal's upcoming clash with Newcastle could be the first time that the Magpies will be without star signing Sandro Tonali for the rest of the campaign. It comes as the Italian midfielder has been wrapped up in a betting investigation that has come with the threat of a ban.
The 23-year-old is the third publicly known player in the Premier League that has been under investigation for potential historical breaches in recent months. Brentford striker Ivan Toney was the first after the FA decided he would be banned for eight months with a fine on top for 232 alleged breaches that were admitted.
Nottingham Forest defender Harry Toffolo followed as he was alleged to have made 375 breaches of betting rules, with a suspended five-month ban given until the end of the 2024/25 season. Tonali is now the latest following alleged historical breaches in his time in Italy.
His agent, Giuseppe Riso, spoke last week no the situation, stating: «He is playing his most important game — against betting addiction. He’s in shock, he’s very sad. He has to face this situation. He is training at the moment [at Newcastle]. He told me he trained very well.»
The latest update from talkSPORT claims that a 10-month ban is now on the cards, with Tonali cleared to play against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League before it potentially begins. It will mean a huge shakeup for the Magpies in their ranks for the rest of the campaign.
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