Tottenham have signed Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini on a season-long loan, with the option to make it a permanent deal.
The 26-year-old becomes the first signing of the summer and will challenge Hugo Lloris for the number one spot at the north London club.
Gollini was part of the youth system at Manchester United and also played 20 times for Aston Villa in 2016/17.
🎤 𝗠𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭, 𝟮, 𝟯…— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 24, 2021
He has had an impressive four-and-a-half years at Atalanta, playing 108 times in all competitions, including 10 in the Champions League in recent seasons.
Spurs were on the lookout for reinforcements in the goalkeeping department, with Paulo Gazzaniga leaving the club at the end of last season and Joe Hart being told he is not part of new boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans.
Gollini will be seen as the heir to the number one shirt at Spurs, with Lloris out of contract next summer, if he impresses during the 2021/22 campaign.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I’m very happy for this opportunity. It’s a massive club. It’s a very good chance for me, a big chance,” he said.
“I’m really blessed and proud to be here and I’m just happy to be part of this club and to join this team of great players.
🗣 "I'm very happy for this opportunity."— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 24, 2021
“I’m young but I’m not too young. I’m here to show that I can be the future of Tottenham. Obviously now I’m here with Hugo and I have huge respect for him.
“He’s a legend of this club, he’s the captain, a world champion, so for me it’s a privilege, it’s an honour to work with him and train with him and I’m sure I can learn a lot from him.
“When I look at this team and this group of guys I think this squad is really good. As a team we have to be really ambitious and we should try to win something because it’s a big team and a big club and I think winning has to be the goal.
“I’ve played in Italy and the Premier League for me is a big chance to also show myself in this league. I just can’t wait.”
The Italy international’s arrival is set to spark a busy few weeks of transfers as managing director of football Fabio Paratici continues to shape the squad.
Spurs have been heavily linked with Gollini’s Atalanta team-mate Cristian Romero, while Sevilla winger Bryan Gil is part of a proposed swap deal with Erik Lamela.
Defender Toby Alderweireld is set to head the list of departures, with a move to Qatar on the cards.
