Liverpool expressed an interest in signing Sandro Tonali back in 2020, a player who has been compared to Steven Gerrard.
That was according to Alfredo Pedulla, but eventually, it was AC Milan who won the race for his signature, striking a £26.8m agreement with Brescia, and the Italy international has developed into a real midfield maestro at the San Siro.
Now, two years on from Jürgen Klopp’s initial interest, Liverpool have a fantastic opportunity to sign Tonali.
What’s the story?
Well, according to Calciomercato in Italy, AC Milan are interested in signing both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the Reds.
In our view, that could give Liverpool an opportunity to request for Tonali to be involved in the deal.
AC Milan, and most Italian sides in general, lack the financial resources of those in England, who have been boosted by the Premier League TV revenue funds across recent years.
Therefore, the Italian giants may struggle to convince Liverpool to sell Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain from a financial aspect, so a swap deal may end up being necessary if AC Milan are to secure their targets.
Tonali has made 19 appearances in all competitions for AC Milan so far this season, scoring one goal while also providing five assists.
Liverpool fans will also be interested to know that the Italy international has been compared to Gerrard, as aforesaid.
It was Roma legend Francesco Totti who made the comparison, while also likening Tonali to a few more iconic midfielders.
As quoted by Gianluca Di Marzio, the Italian said: “He will become one of the top central players in the world. Like Gerrard, De Rossi or Lampard. He is a mixture of Pirlo and Gattuso. He has everything a player can have. Incredible change of pace, he’s technically good and head-wise, he’s always calm. Both in important games and in easy games.”
Liverpool need Sandro Tonali
The difference in Liverpool when Thiago Alcantara plays, and when he is absent, truly is striking.
Liverpool need a midfield orchestrator like the Spain international in their starting XI on a weekly basis, but unfortunately, Thiago is prone to injuries, and that doesn’t look set to change as he nears his 32nd birthday.
Therefore, Klopp must pick up the heir to his No.6’s throne in Tonali.
The Italian, as Totti states, is a composed presence in midfield, who boasts the technical ability to dictate games ahead of the backline.
If Liverpool can get their hands on Tonali under Klopp, it would potentially go down as one of the most important signings the German has made on Merseyside.
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