Palmeiras loanee Kaique leads Portuguese penalty saves as Nacional secure survival | OneFootball

Palmeiras loanee Kaique led the Portuguese league for penalty saves in the latest campaign, crowning it with a stop in Nacional’s final-day 2-0 win over Vitória de Guimarães that confirmed first-division survival.

According to Globo.com, in his first full professional season with Nacional the 23-year-old saved four of eight spot kicks faced. He had already denied Benfica and Tondela, making two saves in the same match against the latter, before his intervention on the final weekend.

Kaique credited a collective effort, saying the goalkeeper coach and analyst supplied videos and support, while on the pitch he feels guided by faith.

Under contract with Palmeiras until 2030, he spent last season on loan at Farense, but a forearm injury restricted him to seven outings. For Nacional he made 28 appearances, kept seven clean sheets and recorded 87 saves across the Portuguese championship.

He said his focus had been survival and he simply wants to play, arguing that regular minutes help young goalkeepers develop and progress. He added that he has not yet sat down with his representatives or Palmeiras to decide the next step, stressing he owes the club a lot and any decision should suit both parties.

Source: Globo.com