On Thursday, Jamie Carragher made quite a stir when he suggested that Newcastle United could replace Sandro Tonali with Ruben Neves.
Newcastle is actively looking for a successor for Sandro Tonali, who is currently serving a ban for betting that will last until August 2024. Ruben Neves, who plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, is one player who has been linked. They, like Newcastle, are owned by PIF, which has prompted objections from the Magpies’ rivals.
There was even a Premier League vote to temporarily prohibit clubs from loaning players from clubs owned by the same person, but it was defeated. That means Newcastle may sign Neves on loan in January if they so desire. However, it has been suggested that this is not the case.
What Jamie Carragher said about Newcastle and Sandro Tonali
However, the prospect of Newcastle just signing Neves to replace Tonali has enraged former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. He argued that the Magpies should be held accountable for their error in neglecting to conduct sufficient due diligence prior to purchasing the 23-year-old from AC Milan.
His words enraged many Toon fans, and they quickly went viral on social media.
Now Carragher has spoke out again, as he answers to a post on X regarding his comments from Newcastle fan account ‘The Magpie Channel’.
Carragher speaks out again after controversial Newcastle comment
They called Carragher’s remarks “ridiculous,” and the Sky Sports analyst has responded via his official X account.
“Clubs never tire of telling us how much they look into the background of potential signings and how much attention to detail goes into it,” he wrote in a blog post.
“So, if something like this occurs, they can’t complain if people question it.”
“Punished isn’t the right word, but if a team makes a mistake with a player, they shouldn’t be allowed to sign a player on loan (Neves) from a club with which they have links.” That’s not right, which is why there was a PL vote on it, which was passed by clubs affiliated with other clubs.”
https://twitter.com/Carra23/status/1727738890121838811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1727738890121838811%7Ctwgr%5E914126f0dbd3922c6fb1b945d5a0f7eae63960a4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geordiebootboys.com%2F%3Fp%3D77788
Newcastle won’t be getting a favour from Al Hilal anyway
The issue arose because Carragher expressed his initial point poorly, sparking controversy. It seems unlikely that he intended for Newcastle to face actual punishment; rather, his concern revolves around the perceived unfairness of them receiving a straightforward solution to their problem by acquiring a player from another club owned by the same entity.
While there may be some merit to this argument, the problem emerges when another Premier League club attempts to sign Neves. The suggestion is that it would be fair for Arsenal to loan him due to their injury concerns but not for Newcastle.
Ultimately, the entire debate seems moot since there is no indication that Newcastle will be borrowing Ruben Neves. If they were genuinely interested, they would have pursued him during the summer transfer window. Instead, they opted for Tonali, a decision that has evidently backfired. However, the unpredictability of such situations makes it challenging to fault Newcastle for lack of due diligence, especially if AC Milan and Tonali himself were not forthcoming with crucial information. It remains an unfortunate circumstance, and Newcastle United is committed to supporting Sandro Tonali despite the challenges.
