Who is Guglielmo Vicario? Everyone knew Tottenham Hotspur needed a new goalkeeper to replace Hugo Lloris, but what should Spurs fans know about Guglielmo Vicario?
While Brentford’s David Raya appeared to be set to join Spurs, finding an agreement on a transfer fee has not been straightforward and Tottenham began to look at other options (90 Min).
Things have moved pretty quickly, too, as within a matter of days of Guglielmo Vicario being mentioned in the same breath as Spurs, it was revealed by Gianluca Di Marzio on June 21st that the club had reached an ‘agreement in principle’ with Empoli for their goalkeeper, for a fee of €20 million (£17.2 million).
Now that Fabrizio Romano has given us a ‘here we go’, here’s all you need to know about the man who could be Tottenham Hotspur’s new number-one goalkeeper.
Who is Guglielmo Vicario?
Guglielmo Vicario is a 26-year-old goalkeeper who currently plays for Empoli in Serie A. Born in the Udine region of Italy, Vicario has played for many clubs in his career but is yet to make his senior international debut for the Azzurri.
He is right-footed, cuts an imposing figure between the sticks at 194cm tall, and is a very agile shot-stopper.
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Guglielmo Vicario career stats
The 2022/23 campaign was a real breakthrough season for Vicario, as he conceded just 39 goals in 31 Serie A appearances, keeping seven clean sheets along the way (Transfermarkt).
Out of all the keepers in Serie A last season, Vicario had the third most impressive stats when it came to saving expected goals – meaning he saved more than he was actually expected to (FBRef). He was also in the top five for attempted passes out from the back and second when it came to stopping crosses.
Vicario signed for Empoli on a permanent basis in the summer of 2022, after spending the previous season on loan with the Italian club. He began his career in the Udinese academy, but has since played for Fontanafredda, Venezia, Cagliari, and Perugia before settling at Empoli.
What are Guglielmo Vicario’s strengths and weaknesses?
We are particularly impressed by Vicario’s quick reactions and agility in goal. Many of his best saves last season occurred when the keeper was faced with close-range efforts or deflected shots that he had to adjust to rapidly. He is also very good at getting down to the ground and tipping shots away from his goal.
The one weakness that stands out in Vicario’s repertoire would be his long-range distribution, but that shouldn’t be an issue if he does sign for Spurs as we know that Ange Postecoglou will want his side to play possession-based football and build from the back.
What are people saying about Guglielmo Vicario?
Guglielmo Vicario was widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Italy last season. That is certainly the opinion of Gianluca Di Marzio, who said Vicario “stood out for his prodigious saves” for Empoli last term.
Fabrizio Romano certainly agrees, too, as he described Vicario as a “very good goalkeeper,” and labelled his achievements with Empoli last season as “really special.”
What do The Spurs Web think?
Only time will tell if the player can be a success in England, if the transfer goes through, that is. But Vicario certainly looks like a talented goalkeeper and comes highly rated by some of the top analysts in the game.
If he can be signed for less than half the price of David Raya, this could end up being a brilliant piece of business for Spurs.
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