Vicario deal meets Juventus target, says Spalletti

Luciano Spalletti says Juventus are “convinced” they have signed a “top-class goalkeeper” after Guglielmo Vicario joined the club ahead of the new Serie A campaign.

The Juventus head coach was speaking after his side defeated Juventus Under-23 in a friendly at Allianz Stadium, with the team’s league opener against Frosinone only days away.

Asked by Sky Sport whether he was satisfied with the match, Spalletti said: “Were we satisfied with the match? Today we wanted to play for a longer period, but it was also necessary to train, and we will continue working over the coming days.”

The fixture provided Juventus with further preparation before their competitive campaign begins, while also giving Spalletti the opportunity to assess the squad’s condition and the progress made during pre-season.

The Italian manager was particularly positive about Vicario, who has arrived after a recent spell with Tottenham. Spalletti said the goalkeeper had been one of Juventus’ preferred targets, although completing the move had taken longer than initially expected.

“I am satisfied, because he was one of the names we were targeting,” said Spalletti. “Some things took longer than expected, but we are happy that he has joined us.”

Spalletti said he already knew Vicario well and praised the experience the goalkeeper has gained during his career.

“I know him very well. He is a goalkeeper with experience and has reached maturity,” he added. “His last period with Tottenham was not positive enough, but we are convinced that we have signed a top-class goalkeeper.”

The comments were reported by journalist Gianluca Di Marzio’s website.

Spalletti also highlighted the qualities of Colombia defender Jhon Lucumi, another recent addition to the Juventus squad. The coach said the club had attempted to recruit players capable of meeting the demands of their roles and competing at a high level.

“We tried, as far as possible, to look for strong players who are capable of carrying out the roles required of them, and we are confident that Lucumi possesses these qualities,” said Spalletti.

He also stressed the importance of competition within the squad, saying Juventus would need more players capable of challenging for a starting position during the season ahead.

“In the season that awaits us, we need a greater number of players who are capable of competing for a starting place,” he said.

Spalletti believes the squad is approaching the beginning of the season with the right attitude. He said the players had shown positivity in their approach and a willingness to improve, while the work carried out over the previous weeks had placed the team in a position to demonstrate its progress.

“I see that everyone is positive in their approach and in their desire to improve,” he said. “We are in a position to deliver the work we have completed over the past few weeks.”

Juventus will now continue their preparations before facing Frosinone in their opening Serie A fixture.