Pierluigi Gollini has admitted that he would love to remain at Tottenham Hotspur next season if the club wish to keep him.
Gollini did not play a single Premier League game after joining Spurs on loan from Atalanta last summer, with all of the Italian’s appearances coming in the Europa Conference League and the domestic cup competitions (Transfermarkt).
The 27-year-old has admitted that he knew he would be Hugo Lloris’ understudy this season but insisted that he has still improved from being at Spurs.
Gollini told DAZN Talks podcast: “Satisfied with the experience? It’s normal that I was hoping to play a bit more, but I knew from the beginning that I would play the cups and Lloris the league.
“I was playing the Conference [Europa Conference League], and we went out without having played; we had nine cases of Covid, and they didn’t let us postpone the game.
“Carabao? Out in the semi-final with Chelsea and then in the FA Cup, the last one, the coach decided not to do any turnover.
“I played 11 games and was lucky enough to train with Lloris. You can grow even if you don’t play, although there are things you only learn on the pitch, like the mistakes you make to improve.
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“If you have the right head, even observing certain environments, you can learn. In football, as in other environments. I always thought that you have to make the best out of the situation. If you have the idea of wasting time, you always lose it.”
There have been some mixed reports regarding Gollini’s future over the last couple of months.
Some publications have claimed that Spurs have decided against taking up the option to buy the Italy international permanently from Atalanta (Goal), with the club said to be keen on signing West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone as Lloris’ understudy (The Sun).
However, TMW have reported that while Antonio Conte’s men are not willing to activate the €15m (£12.6m) option to buy Gollini, they are intent on extending his loan deal by one more season.
Gollini has now admitted that he has developed a real connection with the North London club and would like to stay if he has a chance to do so.
The goalkeeper said: “What future for me? I tell the truth: if I could, I would stay at Tottenham, I feel very good here; I am very attached to this group and the club.
“If they decide to keep me, I will be happy to stay. Otherwise, if we split up, I would like to go back to Italy. I love my home, the Serie A. Right now, I don’t know anything yet.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Gollini is good enough to be our number two and is evidently great for dressing room morale. The only reason that Spurs might decide against keeping him is that the club are already close to the limit of foreign players allowed for European competitions.
Signing a homegrown goalkeeper like Sam Johnstone or Fraser Forster might give the club more leeway in terms of summer signings.
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