Mattia Perin Makes His Case to Be Considered Gigi Buffon's Heir

Mattia Perin will never forget his 20th birthday. That was the day when he spoke to Gigi Buffon, his goalkeeping hero, for the very first time. Sadly, the circumstances were not quite what Perin had been hoping for. He had just endured one of the worst afternoons of his young career, conceding six times as his Pescara team was routed by Buffon’s Juventus.

Although hardly the chief culprit in this defeat, Perin should have done better on at least a couple of the goals. He left the pitch in a daze, but as he did so, Buffon came over for a hug. The Italian No. 1 told him not to give up after one little setback, encouraging him to stay “spensierato”—carefree. (Quotes in Italian, via Eurosport.) 

It is a mindset that comes naturally to Perin, a man with a well-earned reputation for mischief. He told Gazzetta dello Sport (quotes in Italian) with some delight in 2012 about the time when he lied to his dad that he had got a girl pregnant. One of his earlier posts on Twitter featured a photo of a newspaper article claiming that people who make more jokes are more intelligent. 

Still, he did not have much to laugh about during that painful 2012-13 season with Pescara. This was his first full campaign in the top flight, and it went disastrously. Perin conceded 66 goals in 29 games before losing his place in both the Pescara team and Italy’s Under-21 side. Adding insult to injury, his replacement at club level was Ivan Pelizzoli—a man who had been his backup the year before at Padova in Serie B.

And yet, even in the midst of those struggles, Perin still offered glimpses of his talent. Light on his feet and blessed with exceptional reflexes, he has always been a brilliant shot-stopper. In February he made a jaw-dropping 15 saves during Pescara’s smash-and-grab win away to Fiorentina.

Performances such as that one convinced his parent club, Genoa, to give Perin a chance when he returned to them in the summer of 2013. He was not expected to start right away, but he wound up winning the job in time for the start of the new season and never looking back.

Perin recorded 11 clean sheets in 37 games for the Grifone during that first campaign. His 88 saves were, according to Squawka.com, the joint-fourth most of any goalkeeper in Serie A. 

It was enough to earn him a place in Italy’s World Cup squad. Although he would not make an appearance at the tournament, he described the opportunity to spend time learning from Buffon at close quarters as a dream come true. (Video in Italian)  

The Juventus captain was happy to have Perin around, too. They have struck up a close bond over these last two years, with Buffon telling Sky Sport this week that he considers the Genoa player like a “little brother,” per gianlucadimarzio.com.

Looking back on it all now, though, the veteran might also wonder if he taught his adopted sibling too much. Because on Wednesday Perin finally exacted revenge for that ruined birthday two years ago, helping Genoa to defeat the Bianconeri 1-0 at the Marassi—on the occasion of Buffon’s 500th appearance for Juventus, no less.

With Juventus struggling to impose themselves for large parts of the game, Perin was not required to make a huge number of saves—just four, in fact, according to whoscored.com—but the ones he did make were crucial. His one-handed block of an Alvaro Morata blast in the 88th minute was nothing short of stunning.

Nor was it the first time this season that his saves had earned his team points in games that they might otherwise have lost. He made six stops during Genoa’s 0-0 draw away to Fiorentina in September, and then seven a week later during a 1-0 win over Lazio.  

His form is such that he is already being discussed as the long-term heir to Buffon for Italy. He has some competition for that position. Buffon is not going anywhere for a little while yet, and 27-year-old Salvatore Sirigu remains the front-runner to replace him when he does stand down. The likes of Francesco Bardi, Simone Scuffet and Nicola Leali are also in contention to fill the role long term. 

But Perin, still just a few days shy of his 22nd birthday, is turning heads at the moment, a fact reflected by the transfer rumours that are beginning to swirl around him. The German magazine Kicker claimed this week that Liverpool have begun tracking the goalkeeper, per transfermarketweb.com, with the likes of Juventus, Roma and Milan already paying close attention.

A January move seems unlikely, but if he maintains his recent form, then a transfer next summer would be a distinct possibility. Genoa have rarely been shy about cashing in on emerging talent. And Perin has that in abundance.