Italian football expert Alvise Cagnazzo praised Tottenham for their impending capture of Guglielmo Vicario, stating that the goalkeeper has all the attributes to succeed at the highest level.
Until a couple of days ago, it seemed like Spurs were focused on snapping up David Raya, but the situation has changed drastically over the last 48 hours, with Vicario now seemingly on the verge of joining the Lilywhites.
(Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday evening that Spurs had reached a full agreement with Empoli on a €19m (£16.3m) fee, with the goalkeeper now expected in London to complete his medical.
The 26-year-old might be a relative unknown for Premier League fans but he has received rave reviews from those who follow Italian football closely, with Cagnazzo being the latest to wax lyrical about the goalkeeper.
Vicario receives high praise ahead of Spurs transfer
The journalist remarked that while it remains to be seen how Vicario will cope under pressure, he has the quality to succeed in any competition across the world.
He wrote in his column in The Daily Mail: “Guglielmo Vicario has been for a long time the most underrated Italian goalkeeper. His greatest quality is that he is very reactive and able to handle the pressures of Serie A football while playing in a small team like Empoli.
“Vicario has significantly improved at Empoli physically and athletically to become a confident ball-playing goalkeeper. He is occasionally prone to mistakes but is extremely effective in his position.
“Vicario does not have the experience of Lloris and unlike the French goalkeeper, he has never shown that he can handle international pressure within a top club. He has never won a trophy and has never featured in the Champions League so it is difficult to predict what his impact might be on the pitch.
“However, his immense quality shown over the last 24 months can’t be ignored. Playing abroad is not a problem for Vicario and the decision to leave Italy demonstrates his desire to be a protagonist.”
Cagnazzo revealed that Vicario’s athleticism and reflexes are his best attributes and the journalist is in no doubt that the Emploi man will do much better at Spurs than his compatriot Pierluigi Gollini.
He added: “He is an acrobatic goalkeeper with cat-like reflexes: his extraordinary season with Empoli transformed him into a top player specialising in penalty saves and recording a higher ranking than Juventus’ Wojciech Szczesny last season.
“This won’t be another case similar to former Spurs goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini because they are two completely different goalkeepers. Vicario is an acrobatic cat who has nine lives.
“The Italian lives football 24/7 and has always dreamed of becoming best player at a top club even when he has experienced unhappy moments. Compared to Gollini, he seems to have more desire to be the number one and would not settle in becoming a club’s second-choice goalkeeper.”
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Reading all the analysis on Vicario over the last couple of days, it is plain to see why he was seen as an attractive option by Ange Postecoglou.
Other than his ability with the ball at his feet, the 26-year-old also appears to be a very good sweeper-keeper, who reads danger quickly, which would make him a good fit for the high line.
The Italian also seems to be extremely skilled in one vs one scenarios, which he could potentially face a lot of next season, given that Postecoglou’s sides can be susceptible to counter-attacks.
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