Andrei Radu has a bright future ahead of him if the Inter goalkeeper can improve one small thing, according to the Nerazzurri’s former goalkeeping coach Paolo Orlandoni.
Radu has yet to make a first-team appearance under Antonio Conte since he re-joined Inter last summer.
The former Romania under-21 international was set to deputise for Samir Handanovic against Sassuolo after the Slovenian caught COVID-19, but the match was ultimately postponed.
“Radu is one of the best 23-year-olds about,” Orlandoni, who worked at Inter between 2012 and 2015, told Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview for Thursday’s print edition.
“He has a natural talent which impressed us right from when he was a boy, both in terms of his technique and character.
“He’s capable of playing out from the back as well.
“If I really had to find a weakness, perhaps he could gain a few more kilos given his height (188cm).”
Radu has gained first-team experience on loan at Avellino and Genoa, but he has not played a competitive match at club level since January 2020.
His one and only senior appearance for Inter came way back on the final day of the 2015-16 season, when Roberto Mancini brought the 23-year-old on as a second-half substitute at Sassuolo.
“Working alongside a champion like Handanovic and training with great players certainly helps you improve,” Orlandoni added.
“All the same, playing consistently in official games would allow Radu to develop faster.”
Inter’s former Primavera boss Stefano Vecchi and Radu’s ex-academy teammate Michael Ventre have both backed the keeper this week to carve out a successful career, perhaps even at Inter.
