Lecce coach Luca Gotti admits the 2-0 defeat to Inter was ‘probably the last match’ for Valentin Gendrey, who is on the verge of a €10m move to TSG Hoffenheim.
The Salentini were beaten at San Siro by a Matteo Darmian header and Hakan Calhanoglu penalty this evening, leaving them with zero points and zero goals scored after two Serie A rounds.
Gendrey was in the starting XI for Lecce, despite the on-going transfer speculation around a move to the Bundesliga.
“From what I have been told, this was probably the last match for Gendrey at Lecce,” Gotti told Sky Sport Italia.
“I consider it normal that we started him anyway, because we are dealing with a professional. He was practically a child when he arrived here, now he leaves as a man and a fine player.
“Now he has the opportunity to play in a different league, but today he never held back in any way. Paradoxically, he was more disturbed by the situation against Atalanta than tonight.”
Gotti thanks Gendrey for professionalism at Lecce
Gendrey joined Lecce for just €300,000 from Amiens in the summer of 2021 and the sale is now expected to TSG Hoffenheim for €10m, after the opening €7m offer was rejected.
Lecce are seeking his replacement in France too, namely Frederic Guilbert of Strasbourg.
It was put to Gotti that nobody is more troubled by starting the season with the transfer window still open than a club like Lecce.
“I think the team will have changed a lot by the time the window closes. Obviously, it is an invasive situation for us, as not only have we lost big players from the past, we also need to find a new balance and make do with what we have at this moment, without feeling sorry for ourselves,” concluded Gotti.
It has been a rough start to the campaign, as they lost 4-0 at home to Atalanta in the opening weekend.