Tottenham chief scout says Spurs really believed in Pierluigi Gollini

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Tottenham Hotspur‘s chief scout Leonardo Gabbanini has claimed that Spurs really believed in Pierluigi Gollini, who spent the whole of last season on loan at the club.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper only played 10 times for Spurs in all competitions. Tottenham had an option to make that deal permanent this summer, but Antonio Conte decided against it in the end.

Tottenham chief scout says Spurs really believed in Pierluigi Gollini

Just over two months ago, Tottenham appointed Gabbanini as their chief scout.

Although he wasn’t at the club last season when Gollini was signed, he seems to have learned all about what Spurs initially thought about the talented goalkeeper.

The Tottenham chief scout revealed in an interview with Firenze Viola this week that Spurs really believed in Gollini. However, he claimed that a whole year behind Lloris was not easy for the 27-year-old, which is probably why he was sent back in the summer.

Gabbanini said: “Pierluigi is a talent who has to find the right situation to give his best. He was with us in London last year, Tottenham believed in him a lot.

“A year behind Lloris was not easy, he has to find concentration.

“I have no doubt, however, that he is one of the strongest goalkeepers in Serie A. Here, you really work on short distances: there is an inch between doing well and doing badly. Just as the shot of concentration more or less distinguishes you from being a normal player or a champion.”

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Tottenham had the option to make Gollini’s loan deal permanent for just £13 million this summer (Sky Sports).

That’s not a lot of money at all for Spurs, but the Italian’s performances weren’t great. His error against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final cost Tottenham that game, and it was pretty clear then that Conte was not going to make his move permanent.

Gollini returned to Atalanta in the summer and he was loaned out again, this time to Fiorentina. His time there hasn’t been great either, with a comical howler against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Europa Conference League making the most headlines.

As things stand, Conte was right to let Gollini go in the summer, and Spurs fans definitely don’t miss him.