Tottenham: Sandro Tonali is made for Spurs - Andrea Pirlo knew he'd be great

Tottenham Hotspur target Sandro Tonali has long been compared to Italian footballing icon Andrea Pirlo.

Indeed, the now-Dubai United manager remains the gold standard for young aspiring Italian central midfielders to strive for.

A smooth, silky player, the game seemed to always slow down and look so simple when the 2006 World Cup winner got the ball.

Like Tonali, Pirlo also began his professional career at Brescia, before eventually signing for Inter Milan in 1998.

Tonali also left Brescia for the bright lights of Milan, but instead signed for AC on an initial loan deal in 2020, before signing there permanently in 2021.

Now having spent three years with Newcastle United, the 26-year-old could well be on the move this summer, with Tottenham being touted for his signature.

What did Andrea Pirlo say about Sandro Tonali?

Pirlo must roll his eyes when he reads of the next emerging central midfielder having his name bandied around as his 'heir'.

It's a compliment, of course, but these sorts of claims can often be said too soon, and in truth, it would take a truly special player to usurp Pirlo from the throne of Italian central midfielders.

However, with the career Tonali has gone on to have and with what he's still got to achieve, it's understandable why this heavy label was placed on him from an early age.

But, speaking in a 2020 interview via La Gazzetta dello Sport when he was still a 20-year-old Brescia talent, Pirlo never saw himself in Tonali from a traits standpoint.

"They say Tonali could be my heir. In my opinion, he doesn't resemble me as a player," Pirlo confessed at the time.

"He resembles me more because of his long hair and the fact that he plays for Brescia.

"For me, he's a different type of player, much more complete, both defensively and in attack; he's a mix between me and other players."

Whilst Pirlo didn't see the same player in Tonali as himself, he did, however, make a very big prediction for the midfielder's future.

"He's definitely the most promising midfielder in Italy," Pirlo continued.

"I don't see him as an heir because his style of play is different, but he'll definitely become a great player."

Why Tonali would be perfect fit at Tottenham

Some players just look like they were made to play for a certain type of team, and Tonali has that feel about him with Tottenham.

He's an energetic, combative midfielder who plays on the edge, but he's got the type of steel that the Lilywhites need.

As per FotMob, no team in the Premier League won more tackles per game than Spurs' 19.6 last season, whilst they also finished second for fouls per match with 12.2 respectively.

Tonali ranked in the top 12.3 percentile of all Premier League central midfielders for fouls won in 2025-26 with 42, as well as making 257 total defensive contributions.

His 15 possessions won in the final third also placed him in the leading 13.6 per cent of his positional rivals.

The Italian footballing philosophy is built around being strong in defence, and with his fellow countryman in Roberto De Zerbi in charge, those two look like they were made to work with one another.