Newcastle United should not be permitted to recruit Ruben Neves on loan, according to Jamie Carragher, after Sandro Tonali received a 10-month suspension for gambling.
Following the failure of all Premier League clubs to vote in January to restrict related-party loan deals, Newcastle are now free to sign players such as Ruben Neves from Al Hilal, who share the same ownership as the Magpies.
Jamie Carragher was dismayed by the news and believes Newcastle should have been punished for failing to conduct proper investigation on Sandro Tonali.
Newcastle look to replace Tonali
Tonali was Newcastle’s star summer signing after signing him from AC Milan for £55 million, but things haven’t gone precisely as planned.
Tonali has been banned from playing football for ten months after being detected wagering on football matches, including Milan games, however he can still train with the first team.
Carragher believes Newcastle should be punished because they ‘didn’t do their due homework’ on Tonali and now face the consequences of not being able to utilize him.
Newcastle are instead looking for a replacement for the 23-year-old and have been extensively linked with a loan deal for former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.
On The Overlap, Carragher said: “The problem with it yesterday which I don’t like, which it hasn’t quite happened yet, when you talk about Newcastle and Neves and it’s almost just a rumour.
“When you think about Tonali, Newcastle have bought a player from AC Milan, now you could argue strongly Newcastle haven’t done their due diligence. They don’t know what’s going on with this guy’s private life and they have spent a lot of money and then are going to lose the player.
“That should hurt them as a club because they haven’t done things the right way. They shouldn’t then be allowed to go and get Neves, who is a £50 million player for free on a loan because they have made a mistake. If they have made a mistake they should pay for it.”
Newcastle can still look elsewhere
Regardless of Carragher’s statements, Newcastle would still be looking for a replacement for Tonali even if the vote had been successful. They have been keeping an eye on Kalvin Phillips, who might also be loaned to the Magpies.
After it was revealed that Neves is content in Saudi Arabia, the Phillips deal appears to be more possible than ever, with Manchester City willing to let their £45 million signing leave in January.
Newcastle have a number of other candidates on their radar and will not abandon their search for a midfielder if their pursuit of Neves is unsuccessful.
Carragher may not agree with what has happened in the last few days regarding the vote, but at the end of the day, Premier League teams will always vote for what is best for their own interests rather than what is best for football’s integrity.
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