Tottenham Hotspur seem to be closing in on the first real acquisition of the Ange Postecoglou era, with a focus on sorting out the defence first…
What's the latest on Gugliemo Vicario to Tottenham Hotspur?
That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who offered a positive update on Spurs' progress towards signing Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli. In what has been a relatively speedy process, it seems the Italian will join Dejan Kulusevski as the second deal of the summer after the Swede's loan was made permanent just last week.
Writing on Twitter, the Italian journalist summarised the deal and signed off with the three famous words that every fan wants to hear: "Guglielmo Vicario will travel to London this weekend with medical tests now being scheduled — full agreement in place between clubs for Italian GK to join Tottenham. Vicario has accepted five-year deal, he’s ‘more than excited’ for this new chapter. Here we go."
The in-form ace is expected to command a fee of around €19m (£16m).
How good is Guglielmo Vicario?
Having spent the bulk of his career in the lower leagues of his home country, the 26-year-old has emerged as something of a late bloomer given his rise to prominence starring for Gli Azzurri.
His most recent campaign saw him announce himself as one of the top shot-stoppers in Serie A, with only one other goalkeeper in the division boasting a higher average rating than his 7.05.
This is a figure largely upheld through his ability to simply keep the ball out of his net, rather than any particularly exceptional ball-playing skills. As such, he averaged 3.1 saves per game, keeping seven clean sheets and making just one error leading to a goal all year, via Sofascore.
This lack of culpability will be a welcome addition to the Lilywhites' side, especially after the torrid year that Hugo Lloris suffered, which led to the announcement of his desire to leave. His decline had been sharp, with the 36-year-old stalwart having made four errors leading to a goal before missing the final six games of the term.
Perhaps by placing a steadier pair of hands behind a fragile-looking backline, it could revolutionise a defence that shipped 63 goals in 38 league games last campaign.
One particular player who could benefit is Cristian Romero, who has already shown glimpses of the elite defender he can be when surrounded by quality.
The Argentina international managed to maintain an admirable 6.97 average rating last term amidst all the turmoil, but having posted a 7.15 rating the season prior – coincidentally where Lloris made just one error leading to a goal – Vicario's arrival cannot come soon enough.
Given Romano himself suggests he is "one of the best in Serie A", he could help return the 25-year-old centre-back to the levels needed to once again challenge for European spots.