ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Guglielmo Vicario has had a stunning start to life at Tottenham yet he continues to be under-appreciated back home… it is a mystery why he is Italy’s third choice

• Guglielmo Vicario moved to Tottenham from Empoli for £17m in the summer
• He has had a stunning start in England and has conceded just eight goals 
• Serie A clubs passed up the chance to sign him while he is third choice for Italy

Guglielmo Vicario has the highest save percentage of all Premier League goalkeepers, while he also has the most clean sheets. 

The Italian goalkeeper’s data shows how impressive his start with Tottenham has been after they paid just £17million to sign him from Empoli, with clubs in Italy choosing to snub him. 

At 27, he is the No 1 at a top European club, while he has also allowed Spurs supporters to forget about Hugo Lloris, who has held that position for the past decade. 

Vicario has also managed to show his quality in a league where fellow Italian keepers such as Massimo Taibi and Pierluigi Gollini have struggled badly over the years. 

With seven wins and two draws, Ange Postecoglou’s side are flying. In a summer where Harry Kane left, Vicario has helped to fill that huge void by making several stunning saves in the early part of the season.

Guglielmo Vicario has had a stunning start to life at Tottenham since joining from Empoli 

The Italian keeper has pulled off several fine saves this season and is already a fans favourite

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He has a unique story given he didn’t make his debut in Serie A until he was 24 and only established himself as a starter at Empoli a year later.

Most other goalkeepers at the age of 25 are usually already well past 100 career league games. 

Along with his fine shot-stopping, Vicario has shown his extraordinary technical skills which is typical of Italian keepers.

With only eight goals conceded in nine games and an 84 per cent save percentage, he has also outclassed several other Premier League goalkeepers.

Onana – another leading Serie A goalkeeper until a few months ago – could have only dreamed of a start like Vicario’s, while Ederson has only saved 62 per cent of the shots he has faced and Alisson 76 per cent. 

He is fast on his way to becoming a fan favourite in north London with Spurs fans particularly appreciative of his dominance and calmness when tested. 

There is a strong argument to suggest Vicario is now one of the top five goalkeepers in Europe and he has settled superbly into Tottenham’s dressing room where he has come across many former Serie A players such as Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevksi.

Vicario is said to be a huge fan of reading, which he utilises to gain ideas in every day life and to develop strategies which in turn he hopes will lead him to excellence. 

The keeper’s natural focus combined with this help him to be mentally strong while also being calm under pressure.

Last season Vicario made 227 saves for Empoli in Serie A, which was the most of any goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues.

It remains a mystery why Vicario is third choice for Italy and still yet to win an international cap

When he left Empoli in the summer, many Serie A sides also opted not to make a move for him

However, it remains a mystery that he doesn’t receive the credit he deserves back home, as he continues to be a peripheral figure for Italy.

Despite a first call-up last year, he is still yet to make his international debut. He has outshone both Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alex Meret in recent times but remains the Azzurri’s third choice goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan all snubbed moves for him in the summer, despite his stunning performance levels. 

However, he is making a strong case to be labelled the best Italian goalkeeper out there right now, he is well on his way to being the most impactful Italian goalkeeper in the Premier League since Carlo Cudicini during the early 2000s.

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