The highest tiered usual suspects are all announcing it, so for all intents and purposes Pierluigi Gollini will not be donning a vibrant lime green keeper kit in Bergamo next year. It doesn’t really come as too much of a surprise – given Juan Musso’s summer signing – but nonetheless Gollini looks intent on being a backup again next year. Next year, however, with Tottenham who have agreed to sign him on loan for next year, with an option to buy for 15M euros (plus an option to extend the loan until 2023).
Ultimately, it was a good deal for all parties involved. Gollini would have become the obvious second choice behind Juan Musso, and with Hugo Lloris’s contract expiring with Tottenham in 2022, Gollini with a good showing in his upcoming opportunities, albeit limited, could squeak his way into a starting goalkeeper job with a strong Premier League side. Even with all the banter that is thrown Tottenham’s way it is still a good landing spot for most players, and I wish Gollini the best and hope he can have a better go-around in England during his second stint on the island.
While Gollini was incredibly frustrating to watch at time, with his absentminded brain farts and his frustrating first step for a keeper, it’s still easy to remember his bright spots and I’ll look back on them fondly. He saved Atalanta in the Champion’s League last year with a fantastic reaction stop on Davy Klaasen, and bailed Atalanta’s defense out on numerous occasions with his stellar one on one play (and he was put in A LOT of precarious situations!). I hope he can get an extra spring in his boots in his new London grounds to improve his shot stopping, because its really the only thing holding him back from jumping up to the next tier of goalkeepers.
All the best to Gollorious, his cap (which he’ll never get to wear in England), and his new journey at Tottenham. I don’t know if North London can handle his posse and his swag, so we’ll just have to wait and see if the Premier League is ready. It’ll at least give me the small kick in the pants to possibly debate turning on NBC Sports on weekends on the off chance he plays – so let’s hope he can do Atalanta proud! Grazie per tutti PierGollo!
