Who is Alessio Romagnoli? The next Nesta wanted by Conte at Spurs

Stefan Bienkowski

2 Dec 2021 15:09 CST
4 min read

Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli — © ProShots

The January transfer window will undoubtedly be a tricky period for Milan, as they try their best to ensure the month doesn’t derail their title challenge.

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The Rossoneri certainly have the players to challenge for the Serie A title, but it’s those very players that could move on if the club aren’t careful.

One such player is none other than central defender Alessio Romagnoli, who was once considered part of the furniture at the San Siro but could now be tempted to part ways with the club for new adventures.

What position does Alessio Romagnoli play?

Despite playing as a left back when he was a young player, Romagnoli is primarily a ball-playing central defender that can play in a back three or back four.

How good is Alessio Romagnoli?

After a brief breakthrough at Roma, Romagnoli was sold to Milan for €25 million and signed a five year deal, alongside a substantial 30 percent sell-on clause inserted in his contract to be paid to the capital side if he does eventually get sold.

Over the course of the last six seasons, Romagnoli has made no less than 234 appearances for the club and has established himself as an Italy international and one of Serie A’s most accomplished central defenders.

Unlike traditional Italian central defenders, Romagnoli is an elegant, composed left-footed defender that enjoys using his technical ability to glide up the pitch and create plays from deep within his own half.

© ProShots - Romagnoli has been compared to Nesta throughout his career

As such, the central defender has been highly regarded within Italian football for some time now. In 2015, former Milan manager Sinisa Mihajlovic remarked that "Alessio has everything to be the new Nesta", while Italian football manager Luigi Di Biagio went one step further by suggest that: "Technically Romagnoli is perhaps even superior to the twenty-year-old Nesta.”

Since then Romagnoli hasn’t quite lived up to Nesta’s achievements, but at 26 years of age there’s still plenty of time for this defender to fulfill his potential.

What clubs are interested in Alessio Romagnoli?

Despite now being in his seventh season with the Italian club, Romagnoli’s future at Milan is nowhere certain due to the defender’s contract situation.

According to Italian sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, the Italian side have offered the defender a new contract but have yet to receive any good news due to the fact that the terms of his new deal are less than he currently makes at the club.

As such, Romagnoli may be on the lookout for a new club and he may just find it in Tottenham Hotspur.

According to 90mins, new Spurs manager Antonio Conte has made it clear that he would like to see the Premier League side bring his compatriot to London as quickly as possible. Whether that means a January move or a need to wait until the end of the season remains to be seen.