Romano reacts to ‘completely false’ Tonali reports; reveals Newcastle boss Howe to England latest | OneFootball

Sandro Tonali controls the ball during a Premier League match.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists that “any reports of ” Newcastle United “terminating” Sandro Tonali’s contract “are completely false” amid the Italian gambling scandal.

Tonali and on-loan Aston Villa forward Nicolo Zaniolo are being investigated by the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office. Reports in Italy claim it is in relation to an investigation into illegal betting.

The pair were sent home from the Italy national team last week and could face a hefty fine and possible suspension if they are found guilty.

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The 23-year-old has returned to training with the Magpies ahead of the weekend clash with Crystal Palace and his agent Giuseppe Riso says he is fighting the biggest battle of his life.

In an interview with The Times, Riso said: “Sandro is shocked. I hope this experience will help save his life and also the lives of others with his same addictions, including all those young people who are starting to struggle with this addiction.

“Sandro is playing the most important game of his life, against gambling addiction; he won a lot of big games in his life and I’m sure he’ll win this one too.

“Sandro is training and is available for selection. Technically he can play on Saturday. He trained yesterday – he said that one hour and a half on the field helped him take his mind off the whole situation and, once again, Newcastle has been very supportive and trying to help him.”

And Romano has brought an update on the situation surrounding Tonali and has rejected claims that Newcastle could consider terminating his contract.

Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “I’ll start today’s column with the big news from here in Italy with the gambling scandal involving Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Faggioli and Nicolo Zaniolo.

“We have the first official ban, which is for Juventus man Faggioli – he admitted his current position in this scandal, betting on illegal platforms, and he will now be suspended for seven months.

“Tonali, meanwhile, has been described by his agent as being ‘addicted’ to gambling, that he is fighting this demon. He wants to win this fight. For the moment he is still training with Newcastle, and he’s also been speaking to police to clarify his position.

“We will see what happens next, but what I can say, as his agent also said, is that Newcastle are supporting the player. It’s not an easy topic, it’s a sensitive issue, so we’re waiting to see some clarification with a public statement. Newcastle are trying to understand the situation, and any reports of the club terminating Tonali’s contract are completely false.”

A report in 90min yesterday claimed that Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is viewed as a ‘serious candidate’ by the Football Association to be the next England manager.

Romano added on Howe: “Congratulations to England last night as they beat Italy 3-1. I always felt England were the favourites for this game as they are simply on another level with the talent in their squad right now.

“Before the game, there were some reports again of the FA looking at Eddie Howe as a potential replacement in case Gareth Southgate doesn’t stay beyond 2024. Personally, I don’t think it’s fair to see these links coming up in the middle of the season when managers are trying to focus on their jobs, but just how true are these stories?

“Howe has always had many ‘fans’ in the FA, this is true. He’s always been highly rated but there are currently no discussions at all, also because he wants to focus on Newcastle project and he’s only thinking of Newcastle.

“Of course, I think he’d be an excellent candidate for any project, including England but we should respect Newcastle and also Southgate, who continues to do a great job with the national team.”