Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali signed a contract extension during his betting ban which means his deal could now run until 2030.
Tonali joined Newcastle on an initial five-year deal after completing a £55m move from AC Milan in July, 2023.
But the Italian was subsequently banned for 10 months in October of that year by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for breaching betting rules.
Newcastle supported Tonali through his suspension and it is understood that both parties sat down to discuss the prospect of a contract extension during his ban.
Tonali, keen to repay the faith the club showed in him, extended his contract by a year until 2029.
The club also have an option to trigger an additional 12-month extension to 2030.
Though Newcastle could still look to sit down to discuss fresh terms with Tonali in the future, the club will not be in a vulnerable position where he only has two years left on his deal.
It gives Newcastle added protection after Tonali became a pivotal player under head coach Eddie Howe.
“His physicality is one of the standout attributes that he possesses,” Howe said earlier this month. “He makes the difference continually for us in that way.
“Most midfielders have to have that element of athleticism and ideally a gear change when we’re getting countered on, or when we need to go forward.
“He possesses a couple of gear changes but then you add to that his technical ability and tactical understanding, it does make him a really good player.”
