Premier League loanee Pierluigi Gollini could miss out on a £13 million permanent move to Tottenham Hotspur due to concerns over the Italian’s fitness, as reported by The Athletic.
It’s fair to say Gollini returned to English football with a point to prove last summer.
The Atalanta-owned shot-stopper failed to make the grade as a youngster at Manchester United before lasting just six short months at Aston Villa, discarded by Steve Bruce following a series of high-profile errors.
And while Gollini appears to have put those mistakes behind him since that ill-fated spell in the Midlands, it is not his shot-stopping ability that has some at Spurs casting doubt on a permanent switch to the London giants.
Will Pierluigi Gollini leave Tottenham?
According to The Athletic, Tottenham have an option to sign Gollini in a £13 million deal next summer.
They will have an obligation to do so, meanwhile, once he plays 20 games for Antonio Conte’s side.
Given that Gollini is on eight appearances so far – with Spurs dropping out of the UEFA Conference League – there’s not much chance of him breaking the 20-game barrier between now and May.
34-year-old Hugo Lloris, eight years Gollini’s senior, remains firmly established as the club’s number one after all.
It is Gollini’s fitness levels, however, that could stand in the way of a long-term stay in the English capital.
He’s made just one first-team appearance since Conte replaced Nuno Espirito Santo, starting the humiliating 2-1 defeat to NS Mura in November.
Interestingly, Tottenham have been linked with a number of other goalkeepers in recent weeks.
Alex Meret of Napoli is a target (Independent).
And, after falling behind David Ospina in the Serie A club’s pecking order, Gollini’s fellow Italy international would surely consider a move away from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
A deal for Real Sociedad’s Alex Remiro feels highly unlikely by comparison, however. The 26-year-old Spaniard has made it clear that he sees his long-term future in San Sebastian.
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