Italian midfield prodigy Sandro Tonali dealt with a barrage of uncertainty in his initial loan season with Milan, as he made way from Brescia as a promising teenager likened to become the next Andrea Pirlo, but he turned things around in 2021/2022, even drawing the attention of Real Madrid. He managed to pay back the trust put in him by executives Paolo Maldini, Ricky Massara, and coach Stefano Pioli during the course of the recently concluded Scudetto winning campaign, shedding all doubts surrounding his abilities.
⚽ @RafaeLeao7
⚡ @TheoHernandez
? Sandro Tonali
? @mmseizeCongratulations to our 4️⃣ Rossoneri in @EASPORTSFIFA's @SerieA Team of the Season ?
@EA_FIFA_Italia #FIFA22 #TOTS pic.twitter.com/9n3yCs7amu— AC Milan (@acmilan) June 3, 2022
The highly-rated regista went on to register 45 uninterrupted caps in 2021/22, missing just two matches in the league en route – one of them due to yellow card suspension.
It has now been revealed by French outlet Footmercato (via Calciomercato) that Tonali was scouted by European champions Real Madrid during his second Milan season ahead of a potential summer move, before actually going after Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni. Reportedly, a meeting was also held between his agent from the GR Sports Agency and Los Merengues’ representatives in May.
?Info : Avant de boucler le dossier Aurélien Tchouaméni ??, le Real Madrid était intéressé par Sandro Tonali ??.
• Son agent avait d'ailleurs fait un RDV courant mai avec les dirigeants Madrilènes. pic.twitter.com/sgNjkkwu3R
— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) June 9, 2022
Tchouameni, who was subject of great interest from Italian top guns Juventus and Milan themselves, ended up securing a transfer to Los Blancos in a high-profile €80M move excluding add-ons. The Spanish and European champions were on the hunt to find a direct replacement in the place of aging veterans Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Carlos Casemiro.
Our Take on Real Madrid Scouting Tonali
Tonali, who operates in the same area as Tchouameni on the field, could have worn the Real Madrid jersey next season, but Milan have invested a lot in luring and keeping the central midfielder. He is bound to etch a legacy at San Siro, potentially in the footsteps of the great Pirlo.
? GdS: Cardinale wants to secure renewal of five #ACMilan stars – Tonali a symbol of the project https://t.co/bWgMYHTWu3 #SempreMilan
— SempreMilan ? (@SempreMilanCom) June 10, 2022