Roberto De Zerbi played a crucial role in convincing Sandro Tonali to join Tottenham Hotspur, with the midfielder himself acknowledging the manager’s influence. Tonali’s agent has also highlighted De Zerbi’s importance in making the transfer happen.
The Italian midfielder has made an immediate impact, starting every Premier League match for Spurs so far this season. He also played a decisive role in their latest outing, providing the assist for Tottenham’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against Manchester United at the weekend.
Cassano delivers brutal verdict on Tonali
Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano has once again sparked debate with his outspoken opinions on the players available to the Italian national team.
Speaking on the Viva El Futbol podcast, Cassano questioned the quality of several Italian midfielders, including Tonali. He also suggested that the Tottenham star falls short of Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella.
According to FCInter1908, Cassano said: “Behind Barella, there are people worse than him. Also, in my opinion, he’s both poor and overrated; I’ve been saying this for years, and you know it.”
He was equally critical of Tonali’s transfer fees, expressing disbelief at the sums involved in his moves to Newcastle United and Tottenham.
“€110m for Tonali, €110m, madness, he’s really poor too. All coaches can have ideas.
“Tonali at €75m for Newcastle and €110m for Tottenham, it means it’s right that I’m out of football,” Cassano added.
Are Cassano’s criticisms justified?
Although Tonali struggled during Italy’s match against Belgium, his performances in the following three games during the international break were considerably better.
His displays for Tottenham have also shown why De Zerbi was so keen to bring him to north London. The midfielder has produced several impressive performances, with his contribution against Manchester United providing another example of his quality and influence.
While Cassano is entitled to his opinion, his criticism of Tonali appears harsh, particularly given the midfielder’s recent performances for club and country.
The same argument could be made about his assessment of Barella. Rather than reflecting the players’ overall abilities, Cassano’s comments may simply reinforce a position he has held for some time.
