Tottenham Hotspur are in talks to bring in Gianni Vio to become Antonio Conte’s new set-piece coach at Hotspur Way.
This is according to reliable Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold who has been speaking on the latest episode of the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast.
Spurs have had a busy start to the summer transfer window with four new arrivals already through the door in north London with Richarlison being the latest.
And it appears it is not just improvements in new players which Conte is seeking, with the Lilywhites believed to be at an advanced stage in discussions with Vio over the role at Spurs.
Vio has spent time with the likes of Milan, Leeds United and the Italian national side, playing a huge role in the Azzurri’s European Championship triumph last summer.
Gold has suggested the 69-year-old’s arrival is not imminent, however, if Spurs can get a deal over the line, it could be a massive addition to the coaching lineup.
He said: “In that first season [at Palermo], I saw the stats, and it was like a ridiculous percentage of their goals came from his set-pieces that he’d designed. And it essentially kept them up.
“And Italy at Euro 2020, they were absolutely revolutionised in their set-pieces. And what he does is he goes into a club, looks at the individual players and then he adapts however many certain scenarios from his set-pieces that he’s designed towards those players and their strengths and their weaknesses.
“And also designs them for the weaknesses of each team they’re going to play. So yeah, again – I’ve used the word ‘no-brainer’ already, this is another one! I think the last I heard, it was advanced; it wasn’t imminent, but it was advanced. And if they can get that done, that’s a massive signing.”
TIF Thoughts on Gold’s comments…
Spurs had their struggles from set-pieces last season, with The Athletic labelling dead-ball situations the club’s ‘Achilles’ heel’ back in March.
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With this in mind, it certainly seems to be a move which could benefit Conte’s side and also provide them with yet another attacking threat.
Spurs were actually one of the worst sides in scoring from set-pieces last season, with only six other sides scoring fewer than their nine goals across the 2021/22 campaign.
With Manchester City topping that table with more than double Tottenham’s output (22), there is certainly room for improvement which could potentially prove huge for the Lilywhites next season.