Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini says life has been tough for him this season and has revealed a ‘radical change’ at the club since the arrival of Antonio Conte.
The Lowdown: Lloris competition
The 27-year-old arrived in north London in the summer on a season-long loan from Atalanta to add some serious competition for first-choice shot-stopper Hugo Lloris.
He has indeed made outings in the FA Cup, Conference League and Carabao Cup, but has failed to make an appearance in the Premier League, perhaps evidence that he is simply not good enough to really battle with Lloris.
That’s been a huge change for the man between the sticks, having played 32 games across all competitions for the Serie A outfit last campaign, and Gollini has admitted that the transition into English football hasn’t at all been easy for him, telling the Italian press: “It’s not easy to go from the Champions League to playing on the bench."
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The Latest: Big fan of Conte
During that interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport’s SportWeek (via Sport Witness), the £9m-rated star revealed that he is a huge fan of his manager despite only playing three times since his compatriot arrived: “Everything has changed since Conte arrived.
“He brought everything that was missing, both to the club and to the group. Since his arrival, there has been a radical change from the point of view of mentality and work.
“Conte is also very human: he understands the players very well and knows how to adapt his work to the team he has at his disposal.”
The Verdict: Conte’s squad rebuild
Spurs do have the option to turn Gollini’s loan move into a permanent one in the summer, but whether his stay in the capital is extended or not will come down to Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici.
The boss is said to be looking to reshape his squad during the upcoming transfer window, with a reported six new signings on the horizon, and so his future at the club will have to be contemplated ahead of the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
The Italian, who has been praised for being a “fantastic” player by former Tottenham defender Graham Roberts, has bags of potential to give, but it yet remains to be seen whether the hierarchy will offer him a real chance to prove it come the end of May.