Often seen as a success transfer, there are some who still don’t believe AS Roma’s decision to sign Rui Patricio from Wolverhampton Wanderers was a good one.
Attilio Gregori, who made a grand total of 11 appearances in between the sticks for the Serie A side, is one of those, explaining as much in an interview with Centro Suono Sport, relayed by Voce Giallorossa.
He said: “He’s never impressed me. He is a normal goalkeeper, like many others. They don’t have the courage to take good Italian goalkeepers like Provedel, who, in a team like Lazio, is there and is great. I also mention Empoli’s Vicario. You need to be brave and bet on these players.
“We need to put the boys in a position to have confidence and have a manager who bets on them. I believe very little in foreign goalkeepers. The only one I remember that was very strong was Alisson. The Italian school of goalkeepers is still ahead and we need to aim for it. I was coached by the great Negrisolo. I wouldn’t have spent all that money on Rui Patricio.”
Patricio was signed from Wolves during the summer of 2021 for just under £11m, bringing a three year stint at Molineux to an end.
During that time, he made 127 appearances for the Premier League side, conceding 151 goals and keeping just 37 clean sheets.
That record has improved drastically since leaving Wolves, however, keeping 26 clean sheets in 63 appearances, conceding just 68 goals to date.
Whether or not Gregori is happy with the decision, it ultimately lies with José Mourinho, who seems pretty chuffed with his club’s choice to give him the goalkeeper he wanted when they signed the now 34-year-old just over a year ago.
