Serie A 2025-26: The Goalkeepers Who Will Decide the Scudetto

04/12/2025 15:03:00 ScoreStream

The role of goalkeepers has never been undervalued, particularly in Serie A, where 90% of title-winning teams concede the least goals, but rarely has the subject of goalkeepers in Italy’s top division become as "hot" as it is these days.

According to Italian reports, the investment fund Oaktree has agreed to approve a 30 million euro budget for Inter to sign a new goalkeeper, with their number one target at the moment being Guglielmo Vicario, currently guarding the net for Tottenham. Trust in Yann Sommer has drastically diminished.

The Hands That Hold Dreams

The credit for Milan leading the Serie A table after 13 rounds undoubtedly belongs to Mike Maignan. Recently, the French goalkeeper has made headlines by saving two crucial penalties that helped Milan secure vital points in narrow 1-0 victories against Roma and Inter. Without at least 4 points preserved by Maignan’s heroics, Milan would now be sitting only fifth or sixth in the standings. Most recently, his acrobatic save of Mario Gila’s close-range header in the 1-0 win over Lazio was described as "a goal scored with his hands."

The reliability of the 30-year-old goalkeeper in direct confrontations could determine the Scudetto race, as he not only propels Milan forward but also blocks and intimidates opponents. Additionally, Maignan’s leadership as captain cannot be overlooked. He instills strength, confidence, and a winning mentality in his teammates. It’s worth noting that he is playing the final season of his contract with Rossoneri, a situation where many players lose their passion and motivation to perform.

Equally impressive as Maignan, having saved 2 out of 4 penalties faced this season, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic is Napoli’s "guardian angel." Penalty stopping is the specialty of this 2.02-meter tall keeper, who has blocked 7 of the last 10 penalties faced. Saying that Vanja is "carrying" a Napoli side with many struggles back to the joint top of Serie A is no exaggeration.

Serie A has also witnessed the solidity of Mile Svilar (Roma) and the emergence of Jean Butez (Como). Both are helping their clubs maintain the best defenses in the league (only conceding 7 goals in 13 matches and keeping 6 clean sheets each). The natural result is their teams performing very well. Svilar’s consistent form earned him the "Best Serie A Goalkeeper" award last season, while Butez could have a major impact on the Scudetto race if he manages to keep Inter from scoring when Como visits the Nerazzurri this weekend.

Goalkeeper Mike Maignan plays a crucial role in AC Milan’s championship ambitions

The "Veterans" in Goal

While the aforementioned goalkeepers shine, a shadow of poor form and pressure looms over Yann Sommer and Michele Di Gregorio, the shot-stoppers for Inter and Juventus.

Sommer, the hero of the 2023-24 Scudetto and last season’s Champions League final run, is now seen as a weak link for Inter. The signs of aging are evident in his sluggish movements and slow reflexes. He reacts too late to long-range shots, causing Inter to pay dearly, especially with major errors in the 3-4 loss to Juventus and the 0-1 defeat to Milan.

At Juventus, Michele Di Gregorio is also heavily criticized. Many goals conceded from distance this season highlight an unacceptable weakness for a goalkeeper playing for a top club. Di Gregorio is too slow and cumbersome, and Juventus fans have further scrutinized a moment when he retracted his arm while diving to save Rolando Mandragora’s shot in the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina, arguing that he does not deserve to wear the black-and-white jersey.

A Frenzy for New Goalkeepers

The weakness in the goalkeeper position will certainly impact both Inter’s and Juventus’s chances of achieving their season goals. It is therefore understandable that these two giants have already started planning for the future with a more reliable goalkeeper. As mentioned, Inter is pursuing Vicario, who seems tired of the Premier League and wants to return home, while Juventus is determined to do everything possible to sign Maignan from Milan, whose contract expires at the end of this season.

Naturally, Milan wants to retain Maignan, their brightest star so far this season. However, contract renewal talks have stalled, forcing the club to prepare for recruiting a goalkeeper capable of replacing Maignan. Roma’s Mile Svilar is their top target, but Milan is also closely monitoring the young talent Noah Atubolu (Freiburg), another penalty-saving specialist. If Maignan departs, it is likely that all three of Italy’s biggest clubs will have new goalkeepers next season.

Nguyen Vinh

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