Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder Sandro Tonali got a bit of a reprieve this past Tuesday night in the League Cup, as he did not play for the Lilywhites against Liverpool due to a minor injury. So he was spared hearing his name being discussed as part of another disappointing display from the Reds.
And in truth, Tonali has been much improved over the past couple of weeks. He was not bad against Everton in Spurs latest 0-0 draw, and the weekend prior to that, Tonali was one of the best players on the pitch in the 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. Tonali delivered his first stalwart defensive display for the Lilywhites, and while he was not particularly great on the ball nor creative in the slightest, he was decent, all told, as a passer and controlled the pitch for his team.
Right now, the biggest thing working against Tonali and his perception around the Premier League is a force entirely out of his control, and that is his price tag. Tonali has 100 million pounds hanging over his head, and only the absolute best of the best in the defensive midfield go for fees like that.
Sandro Tonali has to make splashes to be worth 100 million to many
In comparison to other center midfielders like Jude Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo who have gone for nine digits, Sandro Tonali has been nowhere near them in terms of statistical output and the robustness of his impact, but it is worth noting that neither Enzo nor Caicedo were off to great starts at Chelsea when they first joined. It took both of them a while to find their groove in the Premier League with their new clubs and to make an elite impact despite a great pedigree before joining - but both did eventually come good.
Tonali has that going for him, and he has been improved lately for Tottenham Hotspur, whose issue now is not controlling games but rather scoring goals. Now, because Tottenham spent 100 million pounds on Tonali, there is an expectation that he is going to help get goals and assists directly, too, as Enzo Fernandez did for Chelsea at an even more expensive price - and even the more defensive Moises Caicedo has done this, too.
Tottenham's most expensive signing ever is up against it in terms of proving his value, and right now, his biggest enemy is going to be actually living up to the hype, especially since he has shown a more subdued playing style thus far.
Add us as a preferred source on Google