Ionut Radu may have played just once for Inter but he’s reportedly interesting Newcastle United – though Aston Villa’s troubles tell act as a warning.
If there’s one position Newcastle United do not appear in need of reinforcements, it’s in goal.
After all, the club’s late season wobble may have had far more severe consequences had Karl Darlow not been in inspired form for most of the campaign. Furthermore, with Tim Krul and Freddie Woodman returning all the better from loans at AZ Alkmaar and Kilmarnock, Newcastle appear to be in safe hands.
Yet, according to Tuttosport, this may not stop The Magpies from making a surprise move for Inter Milan understudy Ionut Radu in the summer. The 19-year-old has only played one Serie A game for the San Siro giants but has been tipped to replace long-serving number one Samir Handanovic between the sticks in the future.
That premonition would not come to pass if Radu was to make a shock move to the North East.
However, if the current Championship campaign has taught us anything, it’s that adapting to a new league is a daunting task for a young, inexperienced goalkeeper no matter how vast his potential.
Aston Villa can certainly vouch for that. After all, Pierluigi Gollini arrived in the Midlands from recently relegated Hellas Verona last summer with a burgeoning reputation. He had even been described in some quarters as Gianluigi Buffon’s heir apparent at Juventus.
However, the 22-year-old toiled amidst the physicality of the English game with streetwise opponents actively attempting to benefit from his inability to command the penalty box.
After just half a season, Villa boss Steve Bruce wasted little time in farming Gollini back to Italy on an 18-month loan with Atalanta.
And while his inability to adapt does not necessarily mean Radu is doomed to fail, Gollini merely highlighted the pitfalls of expecting a young ‘keeper to familiarise himself with the intricacies of a new league.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
