Sandro Tanoli: The 18-year-old being heralded as the next Andrea Pirlo

Almost a year ago, one of the greatest Italian midfielders ever to step foot on the pitch hung up his boots. He was responsible for participating and glorifying the most dominant era in the history of Italian football, winning the World Cup in 2006 and also winning multiple accolades with Italian clubs AC Milan and Juventus.

Andrea Pirlo was certainly the best when it came to developing the most technical plays on the pitch. A central midfielder, who could also play as a number 10, made us all believe in the power of Italian football.

However, after his much-awaited retirement, it was obvious for most of us that the midfield maestro will never be seen again; but as the topic of our discussion suggests, there is more to the legacy, as a brand new face has emerged from the ranks of Serie B team Brescia, who not only looks like the midfielder but also plays like him.

Born in the province of Lodi, Italy, Sandro Tonali has grabbed a lot of attention, as he now being dubbed as the next Andrea Pirlo due to the extremely similar playing style and the shabby hair that the Italian pursues. Given the fact that he currently plays in the second division, Tonali can soon be seeing a bigger stage, as bigger clubs are now chasing the 18-year-old.

With teams like Chelsea, AS Roma and Barcelona already in pursuit for his signature, he could soon be seeing a move away from Brescia, as his talent is truly world-class.

Chelsea, who are racing forward to obtaining his signature already have the required midfielders, but his inclusion could change the phase of their club.

A natural box to box midfielder, who can also play as a holding midfielder or a number 10 is a living personification of the Italian legend has given us all a glimpse of his play-style, and could soon be playing for the senior Italian team with the likes of Jorginho and Lorenzo Insigne.