Unplanned business: Newcastle must seek a loan deal to bring in a January replacement for Tonali

The ten-month suspension for Sandro Tonali means Newcastle United will have to dip into the transfer market to find a replacement for the Italian international. However, FFP restrictions mean that the Saudi PIF-owned club cannot just splash the cash and get another player in.

The Magpies signed Tonali from AC Milan, but his Premier League career has been hampered, and he will miss the rest of the season due to his involvement in a betting scandal in Italian football. Newcastle has been linked with Man City's Kalvin Phillips as the main option to replace Tonali.

Newcastle recognize the need to find a replacement for Tonali, even though signing another defensive midfielder or number eight was not originally planned for January. Financial Fair Play concerns are still relevant for the club, and they are already in the red in terms of FFP. It's likely they will seek a loan deal to replace Tonali, as they did when they signed Lewis Hall from Chelsea due to FFP constraints.

Among the loan options, Kalvin Phillips stands out, and it's believed that Man City would be willing to let him go on loan. Man City would prefer to sell him, but a loan deal with a purchase option would be beneficial for all parties. Phillips has had limited playing time with Man City since his $51 million transfer from Leeds United last year, and he has mentioned that he needs to make a decision about his future before January.

"I know that I need to be playing games and competing every weekend. I'm going to have to make a decision on my future over the next few months. Gareth Southgate just says that for me to keep my spot I have to be playing games. That's what I want to do. Over the last year-and-a-half, I haven't been able to do that due to injuries and other factors. It's something I am going to have to think about."

It’s official: Tonali is on ‘vacation’ until August 2024

Phillips' all-action displays launched his career with his hometown club, Leeds United, and secured the eyebrow-raising transfer to Manchester City in 2022. However, the year spent in the blue half of Manchester has brought a lot of frustration alongside the three trophies. Moving to Newcastle would surely resurrect his career and improve his chances of making England's squad for the 2024 European Championship.