Tottenham confirm signing of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario
Tottenham Hotspur have announced that Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has signed for them, as confirmed by the club.
The 26-year-old makes the switch from Serie A to the Premier League after impressing in Italy. The Italian international kept seven clean sheets for 14th-place Empoli and signed a deal that will run until 2028 and his fee is reported to be £17.2million [Sky Sports].
Vicario looks to be the long-term replacement for Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris, who is set to leave north London after 11 years [Telegraph].
An unknown hero?
Vicario was not on many football fans’ radar when it emerged that Tottenham wanted to sign him. Tottenham had been linked to the higher profile David Raya who impressed under Thomas Frank at Brentford but have opted to choose the more affordable and unknown Vicario.
In their statement, Tottenham claims Vicario is a “commanding goalkeeper with the ability to play out from the back”. His profile and ability make sense for Spurs’ new manager Ange Postecoglou, whose possession-based tactics and need for a dependable goalkeeper are a must.
But, at 26 years old, Vicario is still young for a goalkeeper and under Postecoglou could improve and adapt his game in the Premier League to become a Spurs’ dependable shot-stopper.
However, he is still a relatively unknown quantity and the jump from mid-table Serie A football to Top 6 Premier League football is a difficult one to manage.
Furthermore, despite Lloris’ drop in quality in the last few seasons, the French World Cup winner will be a tough act to follow. But Lloris’ deficiencies such as his poor distribution to his defence have been addressed with this signing.
The Italian is also a proficient shot-stopper having made the most saves (150) in Serie A in the 2021-22 season, so can boast an impressive reaction speed.
Vicario may not come into the Spurs first-team as the finished article, but he is a high-potential and low-risk transfer who comes to north London for a relatively small fee.
Spurs must be smart with their signings if they are to compete for Champions League football and successfully implement Postecoglou’s style this season.
This may prove to be an excellent beginning.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs should avoid the signing of Juventus defender.