Liverpool and Manchester United transfer target Sandro Tonali has been widely dubbed 'the next Andrea Pirlo' - and the Italian legend himself has described his heir apparent as the best player in Serie A.
Tonali's time at Serie A's bottom club Brescia looks set to be over soon, as the 20-year-midfielder has some of Europe's top clubs queuing up for his signature thanks to his impressive displays for his struggling side.
As well as Liverpool and United, clubs credited with an interest in Tonali include Premier League rivals Manchester City plus Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid and PSG.
The midfielder has often been linked to World Cup winner Pirlo, the imperious deep-lying playmaker who started his career at Tonali's club Brescia before winning trophies galore with AC Milan and Juventus, earning 116 caps for Italy along the way.
And praise for the midfielder does not come any higher than from Pirlo himself.
"He is very good but he is different from me on the pitch," Pirlo told Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport.
"He has everything to be a champion but he is more a midfielder for a two-man midfield.
"He could already play for a great team; he is the best in this league."
Brescia owner Massimo Cellino has previously claimed Liverpool have spoken to him about the three-cap Italy international, while United were last year linked with a swoop to sign the wonderkid.
Earlier this season, Cellino said it would take a world-record offer to prize Tonali away from Brescia.
"In my view, he'd be better off remaining with Brescia," the former Leeds United owner said.
"The other day, his agent and his parents were telling me about this €50m evaluation. I replied that for me he is worth €300m, which means I don't want to sell."
However, Tonali is about to enter the final year of his contract with the club - albeit there is the option for a further year.
And even with the transfer landscape expected to be transformed by the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it appears that Tonali's days at Brescia could be numbered.
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