Sandro Tonali

Key strength: Ball retention

Deep-lying playmaker

Torino FC find themselves marooned in 12th place, their DLWLD form pattern the erratic heartbeat of a mid-table existence. Yet amid this mediocrity operates a midfielder whose class demands a grander stage. Sandro Tonali, the 26-year-old Italian deep-lying playmaker, has been the granite foundation of this Torino side, clocking an extraordinary 3,015 minutes across 41 appearances this season. His modest return of 2 goals and 5 assists scarcely captures his true influence—it's his 80-rated passing vision that defines him, conducting attacks from the base of midfield with metronomic precision. Remarkably, Tonali has collected just three yellow cards all season, a testament to his footballing intelligence and positional discipline. With a market value of €108 million and a playing style built on elite ball retention, he represents both Torino's greatest asset and their most pressing dilemma. As Europe's elite inevitably circle, the uncomfortable truth persists: Torino possess a Champions League-caliber maestro operating in mid-table surroundings, and retaining him beyond this campaign may prove impossible.