Tottenham star Sandro Tonali has insisted he will be an AC Milan fan forever, regardless of the other clubs he plays for during his career.

Tonali spent three years at Milan, initially joining them on loan from Brescia in 2020. That loan was made permanent in 2023 for €14.28m.

Over three years at the club, he made 130 appearances for them, scoring seven times and assisting 13. He became a key player for them and a firm fan favourite too, culminating in a historic Serie A title in the 2021-22 season.

He was also a Champions League semi-finalist the following year before departing for Newcastle United in 2023. That made him the most expensive Italian football in history at the time.

Milan love not going anywhere

Despite now being away for three years, playing for Newcastle and now Tottenham, his association with Milan has never dwindled.

Indeed, Tonali has often shared his desire to return to Milan at some point later in his career at various points. He has even discussed training at Milan’s facilities with the Italian national team as being emotional for him.

Now he’s doubled down on that love affair. He insists that he’s always following his old side, and that will always be the case.

“Do I follow Milan? Yes, always,” he said.

“That’s something that will remain true even twenty years from now—I always watch them, though I’m not as close with the players anymore, as so many have changed.

“I believe a fan can never change their faith. And that will be the case for the rest of my life.”

Watching on before potential move

The question is whether the Tottenham midfielder can ever return to Milan as he would clearly like to do.

A return in the coming years seems very unlikely given that he’s now a €100m man earning huge wages at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The reality is that Milan simply cannot afford him.

The best that both parties can perhaps hope for is a return further in the future, perhaps when Tonali is older, cheaper and winding down his career.

In the meantime, he’ll have to watch on from the sidelines as the Italian giants seek to get back to where they believe they belong, in Italy and in Europe.