Brescia President Massimo Cellino reiterates Inter ‘got it all wrong’ on Sandro Tonali, whereas Milan made both player and club happy.
The deal had been done with Inter for months, but when they continued to delay the closure, their Rossoneri rivals dived in with a winning bid.
Tonali is set for his medical over the next few days, arriving on loan for €10m, with option to buy for €15m plus another possible €10m in bonuses.
Brescia President Massimo Cellino reiterates Inter ‘got it all wrong’ on Sandro Tonali, whereas Milan made both player and club happy.
The deal had been done with Inter for months, but when they continued to delay the closure, their Rossoneri rivals dived in with a winning bid.
Tonali is set for his medical over the next few days, arriving on loan for €10m, with option to buy for €15m plus another possible €10m in bonuses.
“Inter got it all wrong in the way they went about this,” Cellino told Il Messaggero newspaper. “Beppe Marotta wanted him and Antonio Conte adores the player. Other clubs who made an approach were rebuffed because the Nerazzurri were already there.
“However, the lad became impatient to know what his future really was. Sandro supports Milan since he was a kid, so the deal with them made me doubly happy, as he was content, and I respected a club that gave true value to money.
“Paolo Maldini has the Milan DNA and everything it takes to become a great director.”
Cellino had been adamant since the start that he would not sell Tonali abroad, wanting to keep the 20-year-old in Italy.
“I’d never discovered such a great talent in one of my youth academies. I wanted to keep him, but unfortunately that dream evaporated with our relegation and the uncertainty in the post-pandemic era.
“I had to sell in order to plan for Brescia’s future without pouring more of my own money in, seeing as being a club President is a profession for me and not a hobby…
“I would’ve liked to see Sandro play for Roma. A while back, Mauro Baldissoni told me Tonali was a dream for them, but I don’t even know who is in charge of Roma transfer strategy now.
“I am very fond of Roma, so when I sold Cagliari, it was my dream to buy the Giallorossi and make the most of their potential, but it wasn’t to be.”