Claudio Marchisio
Turin, Italy, 2 November 2016. UEFA Champions League, Juventus vs Lyon 1-1.
Claudio Marchisio, Juventus
Claudio Marchisio has backed Juventus to sign Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali, but believes a move for Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma is unlikely.
Wednesday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport have published a detailed interview with the former Juventus star.
Marchisio initially joined the Turin club’s academy in 1993 and made his way into their first team in 2005. He was a regular for their senior team for more than a decade and left them for Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2018. A year later, the Italian ended his playing career.
Gazzetta say the 40-year-old former midfielder will be a TV pundit for the Old Lady’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray later today. The first leg in Turkey ended in a 5-2 defeat for Juventus.
After previewing the Serie A side’s big clash, the newspaper focused on a few potential signings.
What Claudio Marchisio wants for Juventus
Claudio Marchisio was asked about links with players such as Bernardo Silva, but instead he turned to talking about Juventus needing an Italian core.
That’s when Manchester City’s Donnarumma and Newcastle United’s Tonali were mentioned.
Tonali left AC Milan for Eddie Howe’s side in 2023 and has been a regular when available for selection. The 25-year-old Italian’s agent recently said his future beyond this season needs to be clarified with Newcastle United.
Donnarumma, meanwhile, is very unlikely to be going anywhere, having only joined Manchester City in the last summer window.
Marchisio explained: “Football changes, but the DNA of clubs does not. Juventus have always had a core group of Italian champions and needs to rebuild it. Donnarumma seems unattainable to me, he just moved to Manchester City. Tonali seems more feasible. He would be an excellent starting point, but patience will be needed.”
Sandro Tonali has been linked with a return to Serie A since he joined Newcastle United, and there were hints again during January.