Pierluigi Gollini: Loan to Atalanta a curious decision
This week Pierluigi Gollini attended an Atalanta fan event, which is perhaps the most notable thing he’s done since joining the club. The Aston Villa loan player was invited by a fan group to attend a dinner in honour of the club, and with two teammates he posed for photographs and dished out the autographs.
Gollini enjoyed himself, and is quoted by L’Eco di Bergamo as saying: “I was pleased to feel the warmth of the fans with my mates, it was a beautiful evening.”
However, Gollini didn’t leave Aston Villa to attend fan events. He can do that in Birmingham, although the food is likely better in Bergamo. A couple of days after the transfer, Gollini explained: “I am very happy, I am happy and I thank Aston Villa. I also thank all at Atalanta, I can’t wait to get started. Sportiello has done very well, he is a complete keeper and I hope to do just as well.”
Sportiello was Atalanta’s first choice goalkeeper but has moved to Fiorentina on an extended loan with a view to a permanent deal. Gollini wasn’t going back to Italy to warm the bench, he could have done similar at Aston Villa.
And yet, that’s what Gollini has been doing, not managing a minute of football in the near month he’s been with Atalanta. Etrit Berisha has been first choice since Sportiello left, and whilst he’s also on an extended loan, Atalanta have a buying option on the 27 year old.
Gollini was replaced by Mark Bunn at Aston Villa in December but that doesn’t sound like it made the Italian rush for the exit. Having age on his side, Gollini would likely be the better long term option and around the Christmas period, the goalkeeper spoke to Sky Italia and, whilst he said he’d moved to Villa because of Roberto Di Matteo, he sounded happy: “I had several opportunities, both in Italy and abroad. I came here because I’m enthusiastic about the project, and Di Matteo wanted me greatly.
The arrival of Sam Johnstone on January 5th changed things. The 23 year old rocked up at Aston Villa on a deal until the end of the season, the 7th different club Johnstone has played for on loan.
With Johnstone straight into the team, Gollini was likely going. And yet, many Aston Villa fans have questioned whether Johnstone is even any better than Gollini, with the statistics backing that viewpoint up. Who Scored? have Gollini on an average rating of 6.6 for Villa this season, and Johnstone on 5.6, with Bunn on 6.5.
Gollini was much wanted last summer, and hadn’t done too badly for Aston Villa, but Steve Bruce had other ideas: “It’s fair to say that once I’d left him out and I’d brought in another keeper, what was the next step for Pier?
“It was a little bit too early at this stage of his career to come to Villa. He still needs to learn his trade. It’s a good thing he’s out there playing again. Ideally it would have been in this country, but we still own him and we’ll keep monitoring his progress.”
The Italian joined Atalanta on an 18 month loan deal, Johnstone’s lasts until the summer. There’s not much progress for Bruce to monitor if Gollini is glued to the bench.
To loan out a talented young goalkeeper due to inexperience, and then replace him with a loaned goalkeeper with similar limited experience, who isn’t playing as well, doesn’t make a great deal of sense.
Every week Gollini sits on the bench it makes less sense. If and when Johnstone leaves in the summer, it may make even less sense.
And all the while, Pierluigi Gollini could have been given to the end of the season to cement himself and become a long term option for Aston Villa.
