Getty Sandro Tonali
Barcelona saw a €65 million ($77m) bid for Sandro Tonali, who has been dubbed the ‘new Andrea Pirlo,’ turned down by Brescia in the January transfer window.
Italian giants AC Milan are expected to confirm the signing of the highly-rated 20-year-old shortly, but club president Massimo Cellino has told Top Calcio 24 that Tonali attracted plenty of interest from Barcelona and other top clubs across Europe.
“He was determined and convinced that he was going to Inter, but all this time dragged on and it was practically the start of the new season with still nothing happening.
“As soon as Milan showed real interest, he did not want to listen to any other options. I also have a historically good rapport with Milan and we reached an agreement with Paolo Maldini quite quickly.
“We also had interest from Barcelona and Manchester United, but the lad is in love with Milan and went crazy once he heard of their offer, because he supports them.
“We turned down €65m ($77m) from Barcelona in January and about a dozen days ago Manchester United had offered €10m more than Milan.”
Tonali is expected to move to AC Milan on a one-year loan with an option to buy for a total fee of €30m ($35m), according to Sky in Italy. The youngster is said to have “pushed” for a move to the Rossoneri after an impressive debut season in Serie A.
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Is Tonali the New Pirlo?
Tonali has been likened to Italy legend Pirlo due to his similarity on the pitch as a deep-lying playmaker. The youngster has stood out at Brescia with his silky passing, superb technique, and composure and has been a regular since he was 17.
Comparisons with Pirlo don’t seem to have gone done too well with Tonali though. The youngster told Gazzetta dello Sport in 2019 that he felt the comparison with Pirlo had come about due to a similar hairstyle and that he feels more similar to Gennaro Gattuso.
“Blame the hair, I should cut it. Andrea is unreachable. Like Gerrard, the most dynamic, or Modric, unique in style. I see myself in Gattuso.”
Yet whether he cuts his hair or not there seems no doubt Tonali is destined for big things. The midfielder is already a full international with Italy and will be hoping his move to AC Milan can bring success.
Barcelona Focused on Youth?
Barcelona’s interest in Tonali comes as something of a surprise, although the Catalan giants have appeared willing to invest in youth in recent transfer windows in a bid to rejuvenate an aging squad.
The Spanish side have come in for criticism for selling 23-year-old midfielder Arthur Melo and bringing in 30-year-old Miralem Pjanic from Juventus, they have also moved to sign some exciting young talents.
Franscisco Trincao has arrived from Braga after an impressive campaign where he finished with eight league goals and six assists. Teenager Pedri has been signed from Las Palmas, while young midfielder Matheus Fernandes has joined from Palmeiras.
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