Chelsea are preparing to go toe-to-toe with Juventus for the transfer of Sandro Tonali, according to reports.
The 18-year-old is being touted as the next world class Italian regista, a deep lying midfielder capable of spraying balls to all corners of the pitch.
It should come as no surprise then that Tonali has drawn comparisons to an early Andrea Pirlo, famed for his ability to provide creativity from deep within the midfield.
Playing for Brescia in Serie B, Tonali has been catching the eye of clubs from all over Europe, but Juventus and Chelsea are being thought of as the two leading candidates to swoop for the prodigy.
Tonali has also been capped on ten occasions by the Italy U19 squad, meaning he will bring a degree of international pedigree to wherever he may go.
With two titans of European football set to go to war, Chelsea may have a challenge on their hands to persuade Tonali to join their ranks instead of Juve.
