This week, it was reported in the UK that Sandro Tonali secretly signed a new deal at Newcastle United during his ban.

This happened when the Italian was serving his ban due to illegal betting last year. Now, he is tied to the Magpies until 2029.

Newcastle United also have the option to tie him to the club until 2030.

After learning that, Italy’s Tuttomercatoweb spoke to an internal source at St James’ Park about Tonali and his future.

They were told that the 25-year-old may one day want to return to Italy, but it’s unlikely to happen in the short term.

The Newcastle United source is quoted as saying: “For us he is a key player. We know that probably in the coming years he may also want to return to Italy. Certainly it won’t be relevant in the short term.”

Tonali’s long-term goals are perhaps why Newcastle United decided to extend his contract.

More than that, it shows how much the Italy star is trusted by Eddie Howe’s side. Since the extension took place when Tonali was serving his ban, it is perhaps Newcastle United’s way of expressing how important the...