Dan Ashworth says Newcastle could be blocked from signing a replacement for Sandro Tonali from Saudi Arabia, as the club launch an internal investigation into why they did not know about the midfielder’s gambling addiction leading to a 10-month ban.
The sporting director said he could not comment on the prospect of legal action against AC Milan - who sold their captain for £52million in July - but all aspects of the case are being reviewed.
He also could not rule out the possibility of the Football Association looking into whether Tonali had broken betting rules since joining Newcastle.