Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali appears certain to make the step up to Serie A with the likes of Sampdoria and Roma having already presented offers, while Juventus and both Milan clubs bide their time.
The 18-year-old has burst onto the scene with the Biancoazzurri making 22 appearances in Serie B since making his debut last year, drawing comparisons for former Brescia man Andrea Pirlo.
However, his agent, Roberto La Florio, has been quick to distance comparisons to the Italian World Cup winner, stating in an interview with calciomercato.com that “Sandro Tonali is Sandro Tonali.”
“While there are similarities in the way they play and in his personality, labelling him ‘the new Pirlo’ can only hurt his chances and Pirlo didn’t start out as a regista.”
La Florio also revealed that Brescia had received offers from both Roma and Sampdoria during the summer and gave his verdict on those interested in his client.
“I’m certain with a team like Sampdoria and Fiorentina he could break into the team quite quickly,” he added, “both Roma and Inter wanted him and would have potentially loaned him back to Brescia.
“However, [Massimo] Cellino rejected all offers. AC Milan would be an ideal destination and Sandro is a Milan fan. I think he would find space limited at Juventus, they would need to convince us.”
Tonali has also attracted interest from clubs in France, in particular, Monaco who have a history of signing from Italian sides; most recently Pietro Pellegri from Genoa.
“I think it would take an offer of €20 million to convince Cellino to sell Tonali. Monaco are serious about signing players from here, as are Paris Saint-Germain, who bought Marco Verratti for €12m” he concluded.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com