Report: Newcastle now want 25-year-old World Cup winner as Sandro Tonali’s replacement

Newcastle United have added their name to the list of clubs from the Premier League with an interest in Exequiel Palacios.

Last week saw confirmation that the Magpies will be without Sandro Tonali for the remainder of the season after the Italy international was suspended from football for 10 months for breaching betting rules while at AC Milan.

The timing of the ban was as unfortunate as the incident itself for Newcastle, as the club has several key players unavailable through injury.

Newcastle eyeing World Cup winners to replace Tonali?

It's believed that the Magpies' hierarchy will want to fill the void left by Tonali in January to ensure Eddie Howe has a full squad to pick from for the remainder of the season. Every day new names are put in the frame along with the ever-present Kalvin Phillips.

Yesterday it was 34-year-old World Cup winner Toni Kroos who was the latest rumour, and today it's another World Cup winner in Argentinian Exequiel Palacios according to TNT Sports in Argentina.

The 25-year-old is already having an outstanding season with Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. In nine league games this season he has already managed two goals and two assists from the heart of midfield.

PA

The Magpies could face stiff competition for Palacios

It's no surprise then, that Newcastle are just one of a few Premier League sides interested in the midfielder. Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Liverpool have all expressed an interest in the star. Although Liverpool's interest may have cooled after signing Dominik Szoboszlai.

Palacios recently signed a contract extension to 2028 with Leverkusen, but the German side are never averse to selling their stars for the right price, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility for him to leave in January.

Only those within the walls of St. James' Park will know for sure what the plan is when the window opens, whether they look to bring in another permanent signing to compete with Tonali or simply head into the loan market for a temporary replacement to see out the season.

We believe it will be the latter which would mean that a move for Palacios seems highly unlikely. However, if we do want to go for a permanent deal, we could certainly do a lot worse.