Guglielmo Vicario’s Tottenham story appears to be entering its final chapter, after he joined Juventus on loan in the summer of 2026.
Having been brought in to try and replace Hugo Lloris between the sticks in the summer of 2023, Vicario endeared himself to the Lilywhites faithful with his commitment and passion during his time at Tottenham. He proved to be a shrewd signing in that time, too.
In this piece, we take a look at his career, his international involvement with Italy and why he’s been likened to a Spider-Man villain.
Recapping Vicario’s Spurs career
Tottenham announced the departure of Vicario to Juventus on loan in August 2026. While initially a temporary switch, Juventus could opt to make the move permanent for £8.5 million.
It brought an end to three years in North London, following 117 appearances and a Europa League winners medal.
Rewind to the summer of 2023 and Vicario was faced with the unenviable task of replacing Hugo Lloris in the Tottenham goal. Signing a five-year deal, he impressed throughout his first season and could have even won player of the season – that ultimately went to Micky van de Ven.
Vicario was nominated for save of the month for five consecutive months and six times in total that season, while also took home the Goalkeeper of the Year award at the London Football Awards.
The following season, Vicario endeared himself to fans further after remarkably playing through a broken ankle in a 4-0 win over Manchester City. The injury happened after a collision with future Spurs star, Savinho, but he managed to play through the pain barrier. He was ruled out for three months afterwards, but did return to keep a clean sheet as Spurs won the Europa League against Manchester United.
His last season with Spurs was hampered by a hernia issue, one he kept putting off getting surgery for. After a 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, though, he had to give in as Antonin Kinsky took his place between the sticks for the run-in.
Vicario’s backing for his successor
While Kinsky’s traumatic night against Atletico Madrid had saw some question whether he was ready to step up, Vicario was left in little doubt.
Vicario told Football London that, when Roberto De Zerbi was appointed, he told him Kinsky was ‘fully recovered from what happened because in football it can happen’ and then added the Czech stopper had gone on to show it.
“He has been incredible, impressive, he did unbelievably well,” he said. “In every game it was not easy. Now it’s easy to say but I was sure of his mental strength and ability.”
Where did Spurs find Guglielmo Vicario?
Guglielmo Vicario has played for a number of clubs in his native Italy, but Spurs signed him from Empoli.
Going back to the beginning of his career, Vicario started out in the Udinese youth setup before spending time on loan at Fontanafredda and Venezia (yes, the team who have the incredible kits every year).
After joining Venezia permanently in 2016, Vicario moved on to Cagliari three years later. He would then enjoy loan spells at Perugia and Empoli, before making the switch to the later on a permanent basis in 2022.
He registered the best numbers at Venezia, conceding just 92 goals in 89 games and keeping a massive 28 clean sheets. At Empoli, he played 71 games, conceding 113 goals and keeping 14 clean sheets.
He would ultimately become one of Serie A’s most highly-rated goalkeepers, particularly outside of the big clubs in the league.
Guglielmo Vicario’s Venom nickname explained
Guglielmo Vicario’s nickname, Venom, originated due to the player’s tendancy to get a little angry on the pitch, matching the wild energy of the comic book character.
Discussing how the nickname came about (via The Sun), Vicario said: “It was made by two guys from [broadcaster] DAZN in Italy. They told me: ‘When you play on the pitch sometimes you get angry, you feel angry, so you feel like Venom’. Also Venom starts with V, Vicario starts with V.
“I shout, maybe. My facial expression can change in some critical moments of the game. I hope to do this not many times, because I think we have a big squad, so I trust in my lads.”
Vicario is a regular member of the Italian squad
Vicario doesn’t have much of an international career to speak of yet, but he did make his debut for Italy earlier this year and now has four caps to his name.
It should come as no surprise that he’s had to wait for his chance at international level. For a start, Vicario had been plying his trade in the lower leagues in Italy for most of his career, and only played in Serie A for the first time in 2021.
Then, of course, there is the matter of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy’s number one and one of the best keepers in the world. The PSG stopper is their first choice, so Vicario is only likely to get chances in friendlies or when Donnarumma is not fit.
Still, Vicario played the full 90 minutes of the two friendlies against Ecuador and Turkey in 2024 keeping a clean sheet in both games. He also went to Euro 2024 with his country but failed to make an appearance, but has since earned more caps.
Gugliemo Vicario’s height, weight, and family
Like most goalkeepers, Guglielmo Vicario is tall: He stands at 1.94m in height. He’s pretty skinny, though, weighing just 83kg, which is rather lean for someone so tall.
He was born on October 7, 1996, in Udine, Italy.
Vicario is very close with his mother and father. The pair visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a number of times, with Vicario sharing on Instagram how proud he is to have them there to watch him play.
Trophies and awards
Vicario has two trophies to his name: The Italian third-division title he won with Venezia in 2016/17 and the Europa League with Spurs in 2024/25.
He was in goal for Tottenham’s Europa League final win against Manchester United and made a string of important saves during the European showpiece in Bilbao.
On a personal level, as stated, Vicario was named Goalkeeper of the Year in the London Football Awards for 2023/24.