Rumour: Liverpool linked with Sandro Tonali

Bengaluru, January 19: Liverpool have been strongly linked with one of the most sought-after youngsters in the whole of Europe by the Italian media. As per reports in Italy, Liverpool have a genuine interest in 19-year-old Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali. However, the hot prospect of Serie A has a lot of other European giants also chasing his signature.

Serie A champions Juventus are thought be leading the race for the 19-year-old but there is interest from clubs across Europe like Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Atletico Madrid.

Brescia owner Massimo Cellino, formerly of Leeds United, is said to want at least €50million (£42.7million) for the services of Tonali and has claimed that Liverpool have already had talks regarding the midfielder.

Liverpool are at the very zenith of their form at the moment and it seems like a luxury for them when they get linked with quality players across the continent. But, it is never an attitude of champions to be content with what they have. They always look for ways to improve their future and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would know this better than anyone.

One thing that must be noted that Liverpool have been linked with almost every extraordinary talent in Europe. Kylian Mbappe, Kai Havertz, Jadon Sancho have all been named as potential targets of the Reds and Tonali is a new addition to that list. It could only mean that Jurgen Klopp is keen to ensure that Liverpool remains a success in the long-term, not just for a year or two.

With Adam Lallana looking set to depart in the summer on a free transfer, there will be a room created for a new midfielder and Tonali could be the player to fill in.

A 19-year-old who is already compared to the legendary Andrea Pirlo due to similarity in style of play, has to be a special talent and Jurgen Klopp is the perfect manager for grooming such players. Therefore, a move to Liverpool will be beneficial for the player as well.

Jurgen Klopp has a contract at Anfield until the summer of 2024 and there is an understanding that he could leave the club at that time. And, if he can leave players like Tonali or Sancho or Havertz for the next manager, it would make the transition a lot smoother.

We have seen how post-Ferguson and post-Wenger era turned out for Old Trafford and the Emirates and that is unlikely to happen if Klopp can leave behind a strong foundation of the team based around players like potential world beaters like Tonali.