Newcastle United are reportedly contemplating a mid-season loan move for Al-Hilal and Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves following Sandro Tonali's suspension.
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, prior to which he was an influential figure in Wolves' return to the top flight.
During his five-year stay in the Premier League, Neves recorded 21 goals and nine assists in 177 matches, while he has one goal and one assist to show from his first 14 games in an Al-Hilal jersey.
Al-Hilal - who also welcomed Neymar, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Malcom, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Bono and Kalidou Koulibaly to the club this summer - have surged to the top of the Saudi Pro League rankings with Neves in the engine room, taking 29 points from their opening 11 matches this term.
Neves signed a three-year deal upon his arrival at Al-Hilal this summer, but Newcastle's Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) connections could help them secure a loan deal for Neves in January.
The report adds that the Magpies cannot make a permanent signing this winter due to Financial Fair Play regulations, and Al-Ittihad's N'Golo Kante could also come into their thinking for a short-term move.
Tonali will begin his lengthy ban in Saturday's Premier League clash with Wolves, as Newcastle look to bounce back from their 1-0 Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund in midweek. body check tags ::
