Sandro Tonali never wanted to be anywhere near Newcastle United, did he?
I mean, you only had to look at his face when he was being shown around the stadium and training ground after signing from AC Milan.
A face like a smacked... Aye, you know the rest.
Well, now the player has departed for Tottenham Hotspur and got off to a rather unconvincing, far from £100million worthy, start to life in North London, his agent has been shedding some light on the deals - the one which brought his client to England, and then again become the most expensive Italian transfer ever when heading to Spurs.
Speaking on the Italian sports podcast Colpi Da Maestro, agent Beppe Riso has shone a light on how sad Tonali was to swap the San Siro for St James’ Park.
“The first move was because we had the feeling that it was a different Milan,” said Riso of Tonali’s thoughts on his boyhood club. We definitely should have seen the signs, eh?
“I know Milan inside and out, Sandro thought about it.
“He understood he wanted to join that kind of football, the Premier League. Sandro was intrigued by that choice, even though he was the captain of the Milan team that had won the Scudetto.
“It was extremely difficult for him, but he was a visionary; little by little, he got the hang of it, and then he established himself.”
Riso continued: “It was a crazy move in terms of the noise, the numbers, and the responsibilities.
“I explained things to Sandro, I made him think, and I took responsibility. It turned out to be the right choice, even from a personal perspective, even though cycles end and we decided to leave.”
On the move to Spurs, Riso said Roberto de Zerbi was key to the deal - although he does reference a rather questionable meeting. Tapping up? Nah, surely not.
“After Newcastle, Tottenham showed they’re choosing differently; they’re courageous,” said Riso.
“Tottenham was reborn after the end of the season; Tottenham survived, and De Zerbi came to the house, telling him they needed him as a leader. The relationship with De Zerbi carried a lot of weight.”
