Tottenham players will be 'quite surprised' just how good Guglielmo Vicario is

In partnership with

GiveMeSport

·26 December 2023

Tottenham players will be 'quite surprised' just how good Guglielmo Vicario is

Tottenham Hotspur players have been left 'surprised' by the impact made by Guglielmo Vicario since arriving at the club during the summer transfer window, journalist Paul Brown has revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

Vicario was part of the summer spending spree sanctioned by Spurs, with Ange Postecoglou signing the Italian goalkeeper early on in his Spurs tenure. Having made an immediate impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Vicario's style of play well-suited to Postecoglou's system, the shot-stopper has been dubbed one of the signings of the season so far.

OneFootball Videos

And while Postecoglou himself hasn't been surprised by the impact he's made, there are claims it has taken the Spurs players back.

Spurs take punt on unknown Vicario

Replacing Spurs legend Hugo Lloris in the side was always going to be a tall order for whoever inherited the number-one spot at Tottenham, but it's a role that Vicario appears to have taken in his stride. Starting all Premier League matches for Tottenham so far this season, the shot-stopper has been crucial to Postecoglou's early success as Spurs boss.

It's something which the ex-Celtic chief has recognised too, with Postecoglou quick to praise the start Vicario has made for the north Londoners. Speaking back in September, the 58-year-old said:

“You get presented with some options and I just really liked Vicario from the start in terms of the characteristics he has as a goalkeeper. His agility, his demeanour, his character.

“He hasn't had a long time at the top level, similar to Micky van de Ven. I like players who have worked their way up from a low level very quickly because it shows that they adapt very quickly but also that they're coachable, that they learn (via The Independent)."

Vicario's appetite to learn has been clear to see and his performances have been reflected by his WhoScored rating, with the £17 million signing having notched up an average score of 6.85. An impressive number for a new arrival, it's clear to see why Postecoglou was pushing the club so hard to sign the ex-Empoli man.

But while Postecoglou's vision has been clear from the off, there are suggestions that some Tottenham players might not have expected Vicario to have such a strong start. Arriving at Spurs as a relatively unknown entity, while tasked with replacing long-time servant Lloris, the 27-year-old wouldn't have been many Tottenham fan's first picks at the beginning of the summer.

Yet his performances between the sticks for Spurs have quickly silenced the critics.

Dean Jones update - Guglielmo Vicario

When quizzed on the Italian's start to life in the Premier league, Jones was quick to admit Postecoglou wouldn't have been shocked by his standard, but did suggest the Spurs players might have been, Insinuating it has been a nice surprise for them to have, the reliable reporter claims Vicario can still go on an improve even further.

On the current state of play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“I've seen Postecoglou asked this question a couple of times and he always gives the same kind of smiling, half-chuckling answer, because I genuinely don't think that he is surprised that Vicario has slotted in so easily. “He talks about how that was one of the most important signings they had to do this summer and that they had to get it done early, because in his system, the goalkeeper is very important and needs to get up to speed in preseason and settle well and that's exactly what Vicario has done. “What I would say, though, is that I suspect a lot of Spurs players are probably quite surprised by just how good he is, because I doubt many of them were very familiar with him before he arrived at Spurs.”

More new arrivals expected at Tottenham in January

While he may have presided over £200 million worth of spending during the summer transfer window, it's now mooted Postecoglou is after yet more additions when the January market is open for business.

One player on the capital club's radar is Jean-Clair Todibo, who has been impressing for Ligue 1 outfit OGC Nice. Once on Barcelona's books, the centre-back struggled to make an impact in Spain but has since rebuilt his career in France.

And it's now suggested Spurs could spring a move for the defender, with talks having reportedly already begun. It's claimed that Tottenham have the 23-year-old in their sights, ahead of what could be another big-spending January transfer window for the 2008 League Cup winners.