If Il Mattino are to be believed on Thursday, then Chelsea are trying to snap up one of the more exciting talents in Italy.
His name is Sandro Tonali, he plays for Brescia in Serie B and there are murmurs going around the country that he could be a surprise inclusion in Roberto Mancini’s latest squad for the UEFA Nations League.
Now that we’re done with the introductions, let’s get to the good stuff.
According to the local Naples newspaper, the 18-year-old is a target for Napoli, hence why they have an article on it, who see him as the heir to the departed Jorginho, dubbing him the ‘new Pirlo’.
However, with such fame and reputation comes competition, meaning Roma and Inter are also on the case in Italy, joined by Monaco and ‘especially’ Chelsea in England.
This could have something to do with the fact Maurizio Sarri, who was Napoli’s manager up until the summer, is now the main man at Stamford Bridge, knowing he might, one day, need a similar back up to Jorginho, whom he brought with him to London.
Back in Italy, Aurelio de Laurentiis has already made the first move, asking Massimo Cellino, Brescia’s owner, about his starlet.
His reply? Around €35m plus a series of bonuses, which is quite the amount considering Tonali only has 29 first-team appearances under his belt, all in Italy’s second-tier.
Certainly one to keep an eye on. The story, that is, but also the player.
Remember the name and all that.
