Chelsea face fight for ‘next Andrea Pirlo’ Sandro Tonali with Inter Milan sending scouts to watch teenage talent
Blues are hoping to land the 18-year-old Brescia midfielder this January but appear to face competition from Serie A
CHELSEA face a fight for to land the "next Andrea Pirlo" Sandro Tonali this January with Inter Milan sending scouts to watch the star.
The Blues are hoping to land the Brescia midfielder, 18, in the upcoming window but appear to face competition from Serie A.
Maurizio Sarri and Co are still thought to be leading the race, reportedly willing to splash £20million on the teenager.
Chelsea sent scouts to watch Brescia's 4-1 win over Padova earlier this month as they ramp up their interest.
But now Inter Milan are joining the hunt, as they sent club legend Giuseppe Baresi to cast his eye over Tonali this weekend.
Baresi, 60, played nearly 400 times for the Nerazurri - and now works at the club as as tactical adviser, primarily with the youth teams.
Tonali has also attracted the attention of city rivals AC Milan, Juventus and even Ligue 1 strugglers Monaco.
Roma too are in the hunt and are thought to have submitted an £8m bid earlier this year - swiftly rejected by Brescia.
Sarri is a long-term admirer and wanted Tonali at Napoli a year ago, but a big Chelsea offer would put them at the front of the queue in January.
Tonali is a composed playmaker with a sharp turn of pace and has impressed Sarri with his maturity for such a young age.