Report: Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario due in London for Tottenham medical this weekend
Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is due in London this weekend to complete a medical with Tottenham, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper reported via their print edition on 23 June (page 71) that Spurs have agreed to pay £17.2million for the 26-year-old Italian shot-stopper, who kept seven clean sheets in 31 Serie A appearances for Empoli last season.
It is understood that once he’s passed his medical in the capital, he’ll signed a five-year contract at Tottenham.
Spurs turned to Vicario after becoming frustrated in their pursuit of Brentford and Spain goalkeeper David Raya.
The Daily Mail claims the Bees wanted £40million for their number one but Spurs were unwilling to pay that.
Cheaper option
Just because Vicario is cheaper than what Raya would have cost Tottenham, it doesn’t mean he’s a worse goalkeeper.
Vicario’s form over the last 12 months has been him be called up to the Italy national team and in the last week, he was an unused substitute in the Azzurri’s third-place finish at the Nations League.
He’ll no doubt be a full Italy international in the future and it’s fairly obvious that a move to Spurs will only boost his chances of doing that.
Hugo Lloris is widely expected to move on from Spurs this summer after 11 years with the club and 447 appearances in all competitions.
The 36-year-old’s contract doesn’t expire until next year but declining performances by the Tottenham captain have left the club with a huge need to make a change in between the sticks.
On 15 May, The Telegraph reported that the France World Cup winner is on his way out of North London but as of right now, it remains to be seen where he’ll go.
Vicario will have big gloves to fill if he comes in as Tottenham’s new number one because although Lloris did have some clangers in the last season, he’s easily been one of the best goalkeepers in Spurs’ recent history.
At 26, Vicario has his best years ahead of him but the Italian’s career is most certainly on an upwards trajectory when the same cannot be said about who he’s set to replace.
In other Tottenham news, the club have their eye on signing a player from Fulham.