Earlier this month, Tonali was one of three Italy players to become embroiled in a betting scandal alongside Juventus' Nicolo Fagioli and Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo.
The revelations emerged during the international break, where Tonali and Zaniolo were both on duty with the Azzurri, and the pair left their national team camp in the wake of the allegations.
After Fagioli was slapped with a seven-month suspension after admitting to gambling on illegal platforms, rumours speculated that Tonali could be set for a longer ban due to betting on AC Milan matches while playing for the club.
Tonali's agent confessed that the midfielder suffered from a gambling addiction, and both Newcastle and FIFA have now confirmed that the Magpies summer signing has been banned for 10 months.
As a result, Tonali — who joined the Magpies in a £55m deal from Milan this summer — will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season, limiting Eddie Howe's midfield options for the next couple of months.
The Newcastle boss still has Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock and Joelinton at his disposal, but the latter two have both struggled with injuries this term, while Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson are both in the treatment room.
The Champions League contenders could therefore try to strike a deal for a temporary Tonali replacement in January, and according to talkSPORT, Al-Hilal's Neves has been earmarked as a candidate.
The 26-year-old snubbed reported interest from Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool to join the Saudi Pro League from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £48m deal,
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