Demetrio Albertini suggested that Sandro Tonali has ‘everything needed’ to become an icon for Milan.
The 22-year-old Italian midfielder impressed this season under Stefano Pioli, being a core part of the Rossoneri squad that broke their decade-long Scudetto drought. Tonali scored five goals and provided three assists in 36 Serie A appearances this season, maturing as a confident defensive midfielder.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Albertini lauded Tonali and underlined why he’d be the perfect player to become a new talisman for Milan.
“Age, sense of belonging, tireless spirit, representative of the Italian block in the team, Sandro has everything to become an icon for the club, I’ve been saying this since he arrived at Milan and was struggling.
“We must remember, however, that everything is now in his hands. It’s very right that the new ownership decides to make him a pillar, a player like Tonali is fundamental to build the foundations of the Milan of the future, but it will be up to him to take up the challenge and nurture it over time.”
The former Rossoneri midfielder then touched on if it was right to offer Tonali a contract renewal only a year after he signed his last deal.
“If we look at the season that just ended, I’d say it’s normal. Tonali had a great year. If we speak more generally, I think that contracts should be respected, that they cannot be adjusted year after year.
“In Sandro’s history at Milan, however, there was the gesture of cutting his salary in order to stay. It is a positive anomaly, a rarity that we have seen very few other times in the world of football, and it is right that the club recognises this in some way.”
Tonali joined Milan in September 2020 from Brescia on a loan deal. He showed some potential in his first season and the Milanese club eventually paid around €20m to make his stay in the Lombardy capital permanent.
The 22-year-old Italian midfielder made 45 appearances across all competitions this season, for a total of 3149 minutes.
#Albertini : ' #Milan , blinda #Tonali . Ha tutto per diventare una bandiera' https://t.co/3Umt5Gj4BU pic.twitter.com/6Oq9xfS1RH
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) June 10, 2022
Sandro Tonali surely nice watching him on the pitch. The player all the qualities needed