Former Italy international Demetrio Albertini has been ‘surprised’ by Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli’s evolvement into a ‘modern all-rounder of high quality’.
The former Milan hero spoke about the modern-day midfielder and pointed to the 22-year-old at the MAPEI Stadium as one of the big surprises in Italian football, along with former Sassuolo teammate and now Inter star, Stefano Sensi.
Former Italy international Demetrio Albertini has been ‘surprised’ by Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli’s evolvement into a ‘modern all-rounder of high quality’.
The former Milan hero spoke about the modern-day midfielder and pointed to the 22-year-old at the MAPEI Stadium as one of the big surprises in Italian football, along with former Sassuolo teammate and now Inter star, Stefano Sensi.
“[Kevin] de Bruyne is very good. Complete, technical and powerful. I see myself in [Toni] Kroos, which is the evolution of my style of play,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “In Italy, [Manuel] Locatelli has surprised me.”
Locatelli arrived on a permanent deal ahead of the season, after spending 2018-19 on loan from Milan, helping to fill the void left by Sensi’s departure.
“He has evolved from his initial position in the middle. He has become a modern all-rounder of a high quality.
“Sensi also surprised me. I didn’t think he would do this well in his first year at Inter. We have a lot of great midfielders, even young ones. The national team proves it.”