Italian legend Roberto Baggio has admitted he was surprised by Sandro Tonali’s move to Newcastle United this summer.
The Italian icon has been speaking to Gazzetta dello Sports Sport Week supplement, relayed by Milan Press, when he was asked about the transfers that have caught his eye this summer.
Tonali was one of the two he selected, with the midfielder moving from AC Milan at the beginning of July in a €64m deal.
The move was one that few saw coming, especially given the player was considered a key player at the San Siro after shining in their run to the Champions League semi-finals last season.
Indeed, he is very much considered one of the Italian stars of the future, having already established himself in Italy’s team since his debut in October 2019 and had seemed unlikely to depart Serie A any time soon.
Newcastle, though, proved to be too alluring, convincing Milan to sell with a huge offer and offering Tonali the chance to compete in both the Premier League and Champions League.
The 23-year-old is already winning fans over after an impressive debut in the 5-1 win over Aston Villa on the opening day of the new season and it seems it’s not just Magpies eyes that he’s caught this summer.
“Transfer market? I followed little, but two movements stuck in my head,” he said.
“The first is Tonali’s move to Newcastle, which I didn’t expect. Milan lose a lot without him.
“The other is Frattesi’s move to Inter, because he is a player I like and follow. Nice shot. The Scudetto? It’s hard to understand now.
“Everyone has changed something and the Milanese in particular have changed a lot (after selling Tonali) and have tried to strengthen themselves, but they need time to find the right balance.”
