Sandro Tonali burst into tears when he learned he had to leave AC Milan. He didn't want that to happen. So what do Newcastle expect from a player whose heart is only for the Rossoneri?
Newcastle always knows how to surprise everyone. A year ago, the North East team spent 70 million euros to recruit striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad. The deal was quick.
12 months later, while Man Utd, Arsenal or even Man City have not yet activated the transfer blockbuster, Newcastle went ahead, they spent more than 75 million to bring Tonali to St James' Park. The contract shows the great ambition of "The Magpies".
Tonali's Problem
“I know what I have done to earn the opportunity to wear this shirt and I will never make the mistake of leaving,” Tonali once said. “My dream is to become an icon of AC Milan and I will do everything I can to achieve that.”
Such statements are rarely wise. Wayne Rooney once wore a “Once A Blue, Always A Blue” T-shirt to show his love for Everton. Just weeks later, the striker moved to Manchester United. A move that hurt Everton fans.
Tonali’s tears could become his most dangerous “enemy”. The English fans are very strict, and will scrutinize everything about the new player who made the club spend more than 75 million euros. Tonali’s statements expressing his intense love for AC Milan could be “dug up” and used against him.
Tonali loves AC Milan. He never wanted to leave San Siro. On the day Newcastle pulled the trigger on their blockbuster deal, the media even described “Tonali forced to leave AC Milan”. Newcastle’s asking price was too attractive for the Serie A side to resist.
Sky Sports Italia even reported that Tonali initially “rejected Newcastle’s offer”, but AC Milan “forced their player to leave”. Roberto Mancini, the coach of the Italian national team, used the word “problematic” to describe Tonali’s transfer to Newcastle.
“I was a little sad when I heard Tonali was going to Newcastle. A young and good player like him had to leave Italy, which means there were some problems there. But technically, playing in the Premier League is good for Tonali,” said Mancini.
Tonali has been following Milan since the age of 10. His father, Giandomenico – who hails from the nearby town of Lodi – is an “ultra” fan, regularly following the team at home and away.
Tonali’s journey to AC Milan was not smooth, he was rejected by the club’s academy twice. Therefore, it is not surprising that this player shared: “I never imagined that I would play for AC Milan one day”.
Tonali has made rapid progress in recent years. Photo: Reuters
Brescia is where Tonali started his career when he turned 17. The Italian midfielder is not very comfortable with being called the “new Pirlo”, seeing it as more of a “burden” than a blessing.
Tonali considers Gennaro Gattuso his role model. When AC Milan signed him on loan in September 2020, Tonali asked for the number 8 shirt - which used to belong to Gattuso.
Tonali has only played for AC Milan for 3 seasons, but has quickly established himself as one of the club's leaders. A kind of captain without the armband.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 23-year-old midfielder often stands in front of the camera in the most delicate situations. When the club prepares to conduct important interviews, Tonali always volunteers because he is very intelligent and knows how to respond to many difficult questions from journalists.
Tonali has a strong love for AC Milan. Therefore, he could not hide his emotions when he learned that he was being sold. This made the Italian midfielder face doubts, is he ready to "burn himself out" for Newcastle?
No one knows. In the Daily Mail, Tom Collomosse said Newcastle fans should sympathize with Tonali. He is still a quality signing for the team. But if fans expect the Italian midfielder to create something special beyond imagination, they may be disappointed.
The Value of Tonali
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe knows Tonali’s special qualities. Although the Italian midfielder does not like to be called “the new Pirlo”, he shares many of the same qualities as the Blues legend. Tonali and Pirlo have many things in common, starting out as Brescia players, playing the same regista position (defensive midfielder with the task of blocking and regulating), and possessing very artistic long hair.
Newcastle agreed to spend more than 75 million euros on Tonali not to turn him into a goal-scoring machine. This is a player who plays the role of the boss of the midfield. The sweeper in the midfield. The one who does the “ugliest” jobs, such as tackling, intercepting, supporting the defense, so that the satellites in the front line can shine brightly.
Former midfielder Gattuso once advised Tonali to live by “traditional values”. Something that coach Howe would certainly appreciate. Simply put, the 45-year-old strategist needs a type of player who is persistent, active on the field, running as fast as possible.
Tonalo meets the requirements of the English coach. More specifically, although he is not naturally gifted with the ability to create, Tonali can still make many sharp assists. In all fronts in the 2022/23 season, Tonali scored 2 goals and had 10 assists. The achievements are not too bad, if we have to admit that it is quite impressive for a player who is only 23 years old.
The Italian press also highly appreciates Tonali for his ability to maintain stability over time. A player with a professional attitude that is different from the rest, always very diligent in every training session. The Italian midfielder also learns quickly, especially improving himself through each season.
Newcastle promises to be worth watching with Tonali in midfield. Photo: AFP.
In the 2021/22 season, Tonali was praised by the media as the locomotive that led AC Milan to the Scudetto title. A year later, he continued to affirm his position with 48 appearances, proving how much trust this player has in coach Stefano Pioli. In the two semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2022/23, Tonali was also one of the few good players.
With Tonali in the squad, Newcastle will strengthen their midfield. They now have the midfielder duo Bruno Guimaraes - Tonali. In which, the new player worth more than 75 million euros is likely to play the role of "Cleaner" and "Brain" to regulate the team's play.
Newcastle can also rely on Tonali for set-pieces. In the match between Italy U21 and France U21 on 23 June, Tonali took a free kick to set up Pietro Pellegri for a header. Before that, he also frequently posed a threat to the opponent's goal from corner kicks.
Trying out in English football is never easy for new players. Tonali is no exception. However, coach Howe certainly had his own plans for the Italian midfielder. Otherwise, he would not have convinced his team to spend a large sum of money to recruit Tonali.
Tonali loves AC Milan, but his next task is to work hard for Newcastle. So let's wait and see what the "new Pirlo" can do.
According to Zing.vn
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