Danny Mills has claimed that new signing Pierluigi Gollini could be there to ‘replace’ Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris as the long-term number one.
Spurs announced the signing of Atalanta keeper Gollini on a season-long loan deal and he became the first signing of the Nuno Espirito Santo era. The deal comes with an option to buy in the summer of 2022, with the figure being £12.9m.
The goalkeeper made 112 appearances in all competitions for Atalanta since he joined from Aston Villa in 2018.
The 26-year-old is no stranger to English football, playing 20 times in the Championship for Villa during the 2016/2017 season.
Football Insider exclusively revealed on May 17 that Hugo Lloris is going to see out the last 12 months of his contract that is set to expire in 2022. They also reported that the World Cup-winning captain wanted to extend his time in North London beyond this date.
However, backup goalkeeper Joe Hart may be on his way out as Fabrizio Romano has reported that Celtic have opened talks with the 34-year-old veteran.
Mills has stated he finds the goalkeeper situation at Tottenham ‘strange’, suggesting that Gollini may be there to learn from the experienced guys before replacing Lloris in the long-term if all goes to plan.
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He said: “It’s a strange one, surprising.
“Joe Hart’s still there so you’re going to have three goalkeepers around of real quality.
“Maybe they are thinking of succession planning, bring him in, work with two very experienced goalkeepers for the next year or so. Then see how he cracks on and how he goes. If it goes well, he will replace Lloris.”
SpursWeb Opinion
Lloris has always had a range of keepers behind him but he has never had true competition; a number one that can test his place. Gollini can do that. He’s a proven goalkeeper for a Champions League outfit. This can only be a good thing.
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