Newcastle plot shock January move for £47m Saudi Pro League star to replace Sandro Tonali

Newcastle United are reportedly considering a move for former Wolves captain Ruben Neves as Eddie Howe eyes a temporary replacement for Sandro Tonali.

Tonali has been banned from football for 10 months after illegal betting on games following an investigation by the Italian football authorities.

The 23-year-old has admitted that he suffers from a gambling addiction, and Newcastle are committed to helping him with his recovery.

Tonali will now be unavailable until the start of next season in August, so it’s no surprise to see Newcastle eyeing a new midfielder to compensate for his absence.

Phillips has struggled for playing time since making the switch from Leeds to the Etihad in 2022, and it’s thought that he is keen to move elsewhere to get more minutes ahead of the 2024 Euros.

Newcastle would ideally like to sign the 27-year-old on loan, which would be an ideal solution to their Tonali problem.

It now seems, however, that Neves has emerged as another option for the Magpies, should they fail to bring in Phillips in January.

According to The Sun, Newcastle are considering a January move for the 26-year-old Portugal international, who ditched Wolves for the Saudi Pro League in the summer window.

Neves signed for Al Hilal for a fee of £47m. He currently earns around £300,000 per week at the Saudi club. He has featured 13 times for Al Hilal so far, scoring one goal and making one assist in the process.

Al Hilal are backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, who also own Newcastle, which could make a deal much easier to thrash out.

It’s possible that the clubs could agree on a loan deal until the end of the season. It’s thought that Neves would be open to joining Newcastle, too.

The Portuguese midfielder has plenty of experience in the Premier League. He made 253 appearances for Wolves, scoring 30 goals and making 13 assists.

Joining Newcastle would give Neves the opportunity to play in the Champions League, something that he admitted he wanted to do back in May.

“I want to be here [at Wolves] but I never hide that I want to play Champions League football. It’s a hard decision. Me and my family love it here, but in football you have to go for your main goals.”

It will be interesting to see if Neves can finally get his wish by signing for Newcastle on loan in January.