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TriniKing_CE



QUOTE
AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of midfielder Sandro Tonali from Brescia Calcio on loan with the option to make the deal permanent. The player will wear the number 8 jersey.

Born in Lodi on 8 May 2000, Sandro Tonali started playing football with Lombardia Uno, an AC Milan academy, before moving to Piacenza and then, aged 12, to Brescia. Tonali came through the youth ranks of the Rondinelle, making his senior début in Serie B aged 17. In three seasons as a professional player with Brescia, Tonali made 89 appearances, scoring 7 goals.

Sandro has also played for the Italian U19 (11 apps) and U21 (5 apps) teams and made his Italian senior debut on 19 October 2019. He has 3 international caps for the Italian National team.

Ivan Gazidis, CEO of AC Milan, said: "We are delighted to welcome Sandro Tonali to AC Milan. He is one of the most promising young talents in international football. Sandro has a love for the Club and an understanding of its values that will add to what we want to build together. Welcome Sandro!".

Paolo Maldini, AC Milan's Technical Area Director added: “We are excited to welcome Sandro to the Rossoneri family. As a talented, young midfielder he will not only embrace the values of AC Milan but also make a significant contribution to the future success of the Club."





QUOTE
"I wanted it.
I dreamed it.
I asked for it.
I got it.
It is the shirt of my Milan"

#SandroTonali on #Instagram

https://instagram.com/SandroTonali

TriniKing_CE

Twitter Thread Sandro Tonali - Serie A 2019/20 devilsmiley.gif devil.gif

1.9 Key passes/game.
(2nd best in Serie A for deep-midfielders)

0.9 Key passes/game from corners. (League best)

0.5 Key passes/game from freekicks (League best)

1.1 Key passes/game from long passes
(League best)

7 Assists.
(League best for deep-midfielder)

6.28 xA (Expected assists)
(League best for deep-midfielder)

11 Big chances created
(League best for deep-midfielder)

Only Bennacer (54) made more interceptions than Tonali (39) for u23 midfielders in Serie A

3rd Most fouled midfielder in the league (Behind De Paul & Castrovilli)

Best player at crossing in Europe at the age of 20
https://t.co/fj4ncIMXul

3rd best dribble success in the league,
only 1.9% behind Bennacer.

https://t.co/n5Iox6hU6m
William405
Welcome Tonali! king.gif
X-Offender
Ibra aside, I think this is the most exciting signing we've made in a while.
TriniKing_CE
QUOTE (Danny @ Sep 9 2020, 09:07 PM) *
I don't know him particularly well - a good signing?


Sandro Tonali insight: Scouting report, player comparison, transfer rating and more…

By Rohit Rajeev



Image: @MilanDigital


QUOTE
Sandro Tonali was a player that found himself on the wish list of some of Europe’s top clubs. However, the self-proclaimed life-long fan of Milan has found his way home.

A move to Inter seemed all but sealed, but the Nerazzurri’s reluctance and Antonio Conte’s demand for more experience in the middle of the park allowed Milan to act quickly and swoop to seal a deal within 72 hours.

It is reported that Milan will sign Tonali on the formula of a €10m loan plus a €15m option to buy and €10m in further bonuses, and a future sell on fee of %15.


Sandro is home, but what should Milan fans expect?

Back story
Tonali took his first steps as a young player for Lombardia Uno, a Milanese team with which he competed in the Pulcini category in the 2007-08 season, when he was just seven.The following year he moved to Piacenza, where he stayed for three seasons, before moving to Brescia at the age of 12.

Tonali made his senior debut for Brescia at the age of 17 coming on as a substitute in a Serie B match on 26 August 2017. He finished that season with two goals and two assists, making 19 league appearances.

In the 2018-19 season Tonali was part of the Brescia team that won the Serie B title and gained direct promotion to Serie A. He made his Serie A debut against Cagilari in the 2019-20 campaign and played a total of 35 matches this season.

Tonali has never hidden his support for Milan and has always been vocal of his support for club legend Gennaro Gattuso. A letter written by Tonali as a child surfaced on social media where he asks for a Milan shirt.


Brescia president Cellino said “We have received offer in January from Barcelona for Tonali. Manchester United made a bid for him before Milan, but once Milan came forward the player went crazy and asked to join Milan because it’s the team he supported since he was a child.”

Playing style
For Eugenio Corini’s Brescia side, Tonali played as a Regista in a 4-3-1-2 which functioned as a 4-1-2-1-2 at times. He would sit in front of the defence and dictate play with quick balls forward to start attacks.

However, Italy coach Roberto Mancini has used him as a Mezzala (box-to-box midfielder) since they already have a Regista in the form of Jorginho in the Azzurri setup. Tonali has the skillset to play both roles very capably. He carries out Corini’s game plan while putting his own imprint onto the game despite his tender age.

Tonali’s main role in the team is to be initiator of build-up play. He acts as a single point of reference by positioning himself between the first two lines to form an asymmetrical triangle while receiving passes.


While defenders pass out from the back, the full-backs push up for Brescia acting as passing options for Tonali. Usually when he receives the ball from one of the defenders he uses his dribbling skills to power through the lines of defence or uses his passing ability to advance play.


A distinguishing aspect of Pirlo’s passing was his unique body orientation that helped him angle in passes between defenders. Tonali has imbibed some of this technique in his stride which has gained him comparisons to Pirlo and a lot of praise from the maestro himself, who even called him ‘more complete’.


With Brescia not being a technically gifted side, Corini had Tonali play in front of his defence as a shield. When the attack progressed into Brescia’s final third Tonali would position himself between Brescia’s two centre-backs creating what was essentially a five-man rear guard.

Tonali’s main defensive strength lays in his unique ability to read the game and often the mind of the opponent. This gives him quite a number of opportunities to intercept passes and put his foot into tackles.

The 20-year-old does not dive into tackles but he does have a habit of giving fouls away in dangerous areas of the pitch, which is something to work on. His pro-active sense of defending has drawn comparisons to Gattuso, who was a wrecking ball on the pitch.


Once Brescia win the ball back, Tonali would position himself in a pocket of space closest to ball carrier. Being the crux of Brescia’s build up, he tries to keep the distance between him and his team-mate in possession minimal so as to not turn the ball over.

Once the ball is at his feet, the Lodi-born midfielder scans the pitch for his team-mates to try and gauge who is not being marked and could therefore generate a chance.

Tonali must be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of who he plays with in order to make the appropriate passing choice. He has a wide range of passing in his armoury and does not shy away from going long.

He also can float in balls inside the box from wide areas but wastefulness has been a big problem of Brescia’s relegation season. Tonali however being the Regista can mostly be seen occupying central areas of the pitch or occupying half spaces between the opposition’s lines of defence.

Another weapon in his arsenal is his unusual acceleration. He can be seen participating in Brescia’s counter-attacks with their forward players. He can also be seen holding players off by shielding them and has a fair amount of physicality to show he has some brawn and not all brains.


Tonali was also the designated set piece taker for Brescia. His only goal in Serie A came via a curving free-kick from an acute angle. He is also the designated corner taker.

We feel like we’ve seen a similar free-kick to this before…pic.twitter.com/aIWLOKq2sn

— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) August 27, 2020

Statistical comparison
A player of a similar nature currently at Milan is Ismael Bennacer. Signed from relegated Empoli, Bennacer has been Milan’s dynamo in the middle.

Bennacer played a total of 31 matches while Tonali played 35 games last season. In terms of interceptions, Bennacer has the upper hand over Tonali with 1.7 per game compared to the Italian’s 1.2.

Bennacer has a higher passing accuracy at 88.3% completion, with Tonali only managing 76.1%. This could be down to Tonali attempting far more riskier passes as he plays as the single pivot in the midfield and is tasked with being key in the build-up.

The Algerian attempted 3.6 tackles per game coming out successful in 2.2, while Tonali won 1.1 out of 2.2 tackles. Perhaps this could point to the reason as to why Bennacer has 14 yellow cards while Tonali has only four.

In terms of attacking productivity, Bennacer has zero assists while Tonali stands out with seven mostly due to his added feature of taking set pieces. They both scored one goal.

Considering all factors, Bennacer seems to be edging Tonali to the starting spot but rest assured the youngster will give his new team-mate a run for his money.

Deal or no deal
Midfield depth has been something Milan fans have missed since the start of the club’s downturn. From having a midfield of Poli, De Jong, Montolivo, Muntari et al., Milan are looking increasingly likely to have Kessie, Bennacer, Tonali and perhaps Bakayoko at their disposal for 2020-21.

Such a marquee acquisition is a serious show of ambition by the management and ownership, and there is a certain romance about a lifelong Milan fan realising his dream at only 20 years old.

He will join Donnarumma, Romagnoli and hopefully Gabbia in forming the core of Italy’s future, while the likes of Bennacer, Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao have created the pillars of the Rossoneri’s future.

His skillset would ensure the creativity burden would not just rest on the shoulders of Castillejo, Calhanoglu and Rebic too. Furthermore, a set-piece specialist would ensure Milan score more goals, something that has plagued them before the COVID-induced break.

What makes it sweeter from Milan fans is that the transfer was snatched from crosstown rivals Inter. Cellino’s words regarding Tonali’s undying love for the club and his grinta has already given him a cult status among the fans, who will hopefully be able to give him a warm welcome at San Siro sooner rather than later.

Transfer rating: 8.5/10



https://sempremilan.com/sandro-tonali-insig...impression=true


han2503
The fact that he's a lifelong fan of the club and pushed for the move makes this even more exciting than it already is.
Danny
Not been up to speed with Milan lately, you were all very excited about Tonali, is he living up to that?
X-Offender
QUOTE (Danny @ Oct 21 2020, 03:55 PM) *
Not been up to speed with Milan lately, you were all very excited about Tonali, is he living up to that?


Not really. He hasn't played that much to be honest. Bennacer last year started slowly as well. The thing is that Bennacer didn't have competition. It's hard to think Tonali can "steal" the spot of either Bennacer or Kessie cos they are too important for us.
Danny
QUOTE (X-Offender @ Oct 21 2020, 04:54 PM) *
Not really. He hasn't played that much to be honest. Bennacer last year started slowly as well. The thing is that Bennacer didn't have competition. It's hard to think Tonali can "steal" the spot of either Bennacer or Kessie cos they are too important for us.


That's what a club the size and ambition of Milan needs - competition of that nature. If Tonali has to up his game that's great, and it means Bennacer and Kessie need to maintain theirs.

But yes, I wasn't terribly impressed with him on his debut. The only thing I liked was his hair. Or I was just jealous.
Fillipo Simone
QUOTE (X-Offender @ Oct 21 2020, 06:54 PM) *
Not really. He hasn't played that much to be honest. Bennacer last year started slowly as well. The thing is that Bennacer didn't have competition. It's hard to think Tonali can "steal" the spot of either Bennacer or Kessie cos they are too important for us.

Yes, it surely is too early to tell.

But I somehow started thinking Tonali was a mistake. We perhaps went with our heart there, not really with our mind. Tonali is young, green and if he grows into the star some predict he'll always be a gem player in the sense Gattuso was. Gattuso could have played (IMO) for Milan all career long or for Perugia. Having Pirlo, Seedorf and Rui beside him is what made his characteristics and style even more useful for us. But alone at Perugia he would easily fight against relegation along with Ahn and the rest of them. While Seedorf would have made the difference in Perugia.

For a club with limited resources like us now, Tonali is maybe not a good investment. I don't see him making a difference with us, I don't see him overtake Kessie's or Bennacer's spot. And for a benchwarmer and talent he sure is expensive to keep.
William405
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Nov 8 2020, 08:53 PM) *
Yes, it surely is too early to tell.

But I somehow started thinking Tonali was a mistake. We perhaps went with our heart there, not really with our mind. Tonali is young, green and if he grows into the star some predict he'll always be a gem player in the sense Gattuso was. Gattuso could have played (IMO) for Milan all career long or for Perugia. Having Pirlo, Seedorf and Rui beside him is what made his characteristics and style even more useful for us. But alone at Perugia he would easily fight against relegation along with Ahn and the rest of them. While Seedorf would have made the difference in Perugia.

For a club with limited resources like us now, Tonali is maybe not a good investment. I don't see him making a difference with us, I don't see him overtake Kessie's or Bennacer's spot. And for a benchwarmer and talent he sure is expensive to keep.


Yes, agreed on your overall main point. I don't agree that he will be essential a pure Gattuso type of player. He certainly has good vision and can deliver killer passes. It's certainly still raw talent and needs to be developed much much more. He is certainly (at least not for now) NOT a Pirlo type of deep-playing midfielder that can control the tempo and dictate the play. We'll see if that comes later on in his career. I think in the theory, yes it's a pretty expensive gamble, given our situation, but we DO need him. We don't really have any replacements for Kessie-Bennacer, and this has been shown clearly this season as Tonali has gotten a lot of minutes in. He needs game-time and practice to develop his raw potential, so let's what happens.

X-Offender
QUOTE (X-Offender @ Dec 7 2020, 04:48 PM) *
Yeah, Inter fans are truly rosicando as they say in Italian.


In all honesty he has been rather disappointing. He was so hyped up, I was expecting a pure talent ready to explode, but he's been very timid and hasn't shown anything exceptional.

For an analogy, when we signed Bennacer last season, even though he didn't start games regularly in the beginning and wasn't exactly having great performances, you could still see the talent was there, ready to explode. I can't see that in Tonali, and I'm afraid he'll end up being just another average Italian youngster that never went anywhere, like the likes of Aquilani, Montolivo etc.

Hopefully I'm mistaken.
William405
Well, let's not forget he is 20 years old. He just joined a new team, was clearly not comfortable at the start of the season (as he said in his most recent interview). He will need at least a year to really show something concrete. The Europa league games are perfect because he is getting valuable minutes in Europe. I totally don't agree with the Bennacer argument. He was doing lots of mistakes, losing the ball, similar to what Tonali is encountering at the moment. Bennacer was also slightly older, has perhaps also a stronger mentality and was a leader in his Algerian international side. Anyway, for sure, we'll see the rest of the story in the coming years. But, let's just not forget that he was a buy for the future. I think he has some really nice vision and passing capacities that will be more obvious to us when he is totally embedded in that side.
Fillipo Simone
Lot's of problems here.

But firstly, I'm appalled to see you put Aquilani and Monto in the same basket. Montolivo was not average, he was a very good player but simply deteriorated very early.

The problem with Tonali is that he should be played in place of the one player who is performing consistently good - in place of Kessie. Also, I see Tonali as a gem player; like with Gattuso. Just imagine a average team of the 00's, like for example Fiorentina or Udinese with Gattuso in their team - nothing special would happen. It's with Milan and the special creativity we had that Gattuso became added value.

That being said, yes I'm also a bit disappointed. Seems like a waste of funds in a situation where Milan works on a limited budget.
X-Offender
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Dec 16 2020, 10:48 PM) *
But firstly, I'm appalled to see you put Aquilani and Monto in the same basket. Montolivo was not average, he was a very good player but simply deteriorated very early.


Aquilani > Montolivo. Easily.
Fillipo Simone
I don't see it man. Aquilani never really managed to impress and never played a important role. Monto was important for Fiorentina and had a bigger role in the NT as well.
Danny
Monto was appalling for us. Not interested if he brought peace to the middle east for Fiorentina, for us he was awful.

The only player worse than him was Aquilani, who was up there with Bertolacci.
William405
QUOTE (Danny @ Dec 20 2020, 04:38 AM) *
Monto was appalling for us. Not interested if he brought peace to the middle east for Fiorentina, for us he was awful.

The only player worse than him was Aquilani, who was up there with Bertolacci.


Nooo, Monto/Aquilani were gods compared to Bertolacci. Aquilani, I think was the most talented of the two but he was never able to fulfill this talent for some weird reasons. He also had some good days with Liverpool...so I would take him over Monto, anytime of the day.
X-Offender
Aquilani had a very decent season with us. I was sad to see us not signing him after the loan end.

Remember that we used to bench him because we didn't want him to reach 25 presences in the league, which would have automatically activated the clause in the contract for us to obligatorily sign him?

Oh, Galliani, you were such a sad loser...
William405
QUOTE (X-Offender @ Dec 20 2020, 04:56 PM) *
Aquilani had a very decent season with us. I was sad to see us not signing him after the loan end.

Remember that we used to bench him because we didn't want him to reach 25 presences in the league, which would have automatically activated the clause in the contract for us to obligatorily sign him?

Oh, Galliani, you were such a sad loser...


Oh yes... These sad days... glad it's over.
Fillipo Simone
QUOTE (X-Offender @ Dec 20 2020, 04:56 PM) *
Aquilani had a very decent season with us. I was sad to see us not signing him after the loan end.

Remember that we used to bench him because we didn't want him to reach 25 presences in the league, which would have automatically activated the clause in the contract for us to obligatorily sign him?

Oh, Galliani, you were such a sad loser...

Aquilani was terrible for us...
X-Offender
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Dec 20 2020, 10:32 PM) *
Aquilani was terrible for us...


I disagree. I thought he did fairly well with us. With van Bommel, Aquilani, Nocerino and Boateng we had a pretty decent and balanced midfield back then. But they didn't play together as much as I would have wanted due to injuries and asinine decisions by Allegri.
Forza Milan!
QUOTE (X-Offender @ Dec 21 2020, 12:44 AM) *
I disagree. I thought he did fairly well with us. With van Bommel, Aquilani, Nocerino and Boateng we had a pretty decent and balanced midfield back then. But they didn't play together as much as I would have wanted due to injuries and asinine decisions by Allegri.

I liked Aquilani. I don't think he ever got a chance. As for Monto, my brother is a Fiorentina fan, so I followed him before he became a Milan player. He was ok there, but never really stepped up to the level of a top player.
Danny
So two of us like Aquilani and two of us don't.

We need a fifth entrant to decide this one biggrin.gif
Danny
QUOTE (X-Offender @ Dec 20 2020, 11:44 PM) *
I disagree. I thought he did fairly well with us. With van Bommel, Aquilani, Nocerino and Boateng we had a pretty decent and balanced midfield back then. But they didn't play together as much as I would have wanted due to injuries and asinine decisions by Allegri.


Van Bommel was rotten for us. Aquilani was terrible. Nocerino was garbage. And Boateng was an impact player who could score but didn't function well as a trequartista at all. Despite sort of playing as one.

Ah memories...
X-Offender
QUOTE (Danny @ Jan 9 2021, 04:54 PM) *
Van Bommel was rotten for us. Aquilani was terrible. Nocerino was garbage. And Boateng was an impact player who could score but didn't function well as a trequartista at all. Despite sort of playing as one.

Ah memories...


Van Bommel rotten? I wholeheartedly disagree. He was pretty good.

Aquilani I've already expressed my opinion.

Nocerino scored 10 goals in his first season with us, thanks to his great partnership with Ibra. Afterwards, yes, he was garbage.

Agreed about Boateng.
Fillipo Simone
van Bommel did great with us; agreed on the rest.
Danny
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Jan 9 2021, 09:40 PM) *
van Bommel did great with us; agreed on the rest.


I'm a little unsure about this. Great is pushing it imo.

We got him in the twilight of his career, and I recall Ambrosini often being a better choice after MVB arrived.

Maybe rotten was harsh, but I'm not convinced he was much more than average.
Fillipo Simone
I remember MvB stepping up, connecting our midfield with his style. Gattuso was already gone, while Ambro was in decline. Out of all DM players available, I think he was our best solution. He also tended to play good against strong opponents.
X-Offender
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Jan 10 2021, 05:19 PM) *
I remember MvB stepping up, connecting our midfield with his style. Gattuso was already gone, while Ambro was in decline. Out of all DM players available, I think he was our best solution. He also tended to play good against strong opponents.


+1

The only downside of signing van Bommel was that his presence and good performances sort of pushed Pirlo out.
Fillipo Simone
Not sure if it is a downside really. Don't get me wrong, I loved Pirlo. But taking all into consideration, the fact that the guy wanted to leave Milan under Ancelotti already, spoke Spanish with the team in sign of protest and seems to me like a difficult and pigheaded guy with a very peculiar attitude - I'm really not sure any alternative scenario would have kept him with us.

Even recent interviews show how Pirlo is trying to push his Milan past in the background. Not mentioning his Milan teammates, emphasizing his Juventus years and friends.

I must say, I really kind of started disliking this guy a lot.
Danny
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Jan 10 2021, 05:19 PM) *
I remember MvB stepping up, connecting our midfield with his style. Gattuso was already gone, while Ambro was in decline. Out of all DM players available, I think he was our best solution. He also tended to play good against strong opponents.


My biggest recollection of him was a lot of bookings. And I just checked, quite a few.

I do agree his best was in the big matches. But then of his CV, that's not surprising.
Danny
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Jan 10 2021, 09:57 PM) *
Not sure if it is a downside really. Don't get me wrong, I loved Pirlo. But taking all into consideration, the fact that the guy wanted to leave Milan under Ancelotti already, spoke Spanish with the team in sign of protest and seems to me like a difficult and pigheaded guy with a very peculiar attitude - I'm really not sure any alternative scenario would have kept him with us.

Even recent interviews show how Pirlo is trying to push his Milan past in the background. Not mentioning his Milan teammates, emphasizing his Juventus years and friends.

I must say, I really kind of started disliking this guy a lot.


He's a d*ck, and he's no Milanisti. He's a petty little sh*t who felt entitlement that a ?100K a week for 10 years wasn't enough and he demanded a shiny leaving present.
William405
QUOTE (Fillipo Simone @ Jan 10 2021, 11:57 PM) *
Not sure if it is a downside really. Don't get me wrong, I loved Pirlo. But taking all into consideration, the fact that the guy wanted to leave Milan under Ancelotti already, spoke Spanish with the team in sign of protest and seems to me like a difficult and pigheaded guy with a very peculiar attitude - I'm really not sure any alternative scenario would have kept him with us.

Even recent interviews show how Pirlo is trying to push his Milan past in the background. Not mentioning his Milan teammates, emphasizing his Juventus years and friends.

I must say, I really kind of started disliking this guy a lot.


Me too. On the other hand, Maldini is class, saying Pirlo will always be his brother. While Pirlo has zero respect for Milan. Hell, he wrote a book just to diss on this club. I dislike him too...and it's been a while coming. Even his body langauge during the Milan Juve game was apalling. Look at Inzaghi, on the other hand...he said but good things.
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