Tottenham clash with Mourinho for goalkeeper who has ‘exploded’ ahead of his biggest ever move
Tottenham Hotspur are emerging as one of the contenders for the signature of a Serie A goalkeeper also wanted by their former manager Jose Mourinho at Roma, according to an Italian report.
Finding a new goalkeeper is a priority issue for Tottenham to resolve in the summer. Hugo Lloris is ready to be replaced as their number one, despite having a year of contract left. Spurs are keeping their options open in terms of who could succeed him.
There are options from within the Premier League or further afield under consideration. In terms of the latter, one name that was briefly mentioned earlier this season was that of Guglielmo Vicario.
The 26-year-old made his loan move from Cagliari to Empoli permanent ahead of the current season. He has impressed in Serie A ever since, earning some bigger admirers.
Back in November, Tottenham began to be linked with Vicario. However, other names have been mentioned more frequently since.
Now, though, Calciomercatoweb has put Vicario’s name back in contention for a Tottenham transfer again. According to the Italian source, they are one of three contenders to sign him in the summer.
Antonio Conte is said to be the inspiration behind their pursuit, even though his own future as Spurs’ head coach remains unclear. Thus, it will be interesting to see if their interest in Vicario remains even if Conte leaves.
Making reference to how his form has “exploded” this season, Calciomercatoweb lists Tottenham, Juventus and Roma as the three clubs who could give Vicario the biggest transfer of his career to date.
Serie A pair also admire Vicario
Of course, Roma are currently managed by former Tottenham boss Mourinho, which would make for an intriguing head-to-head in the transfer market.
Roma are searching for a replacement for ex-Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio this summer. Meanwhile, Juventus are ready to find a new number one instead of ex-Arsenal man, Wojciech Szczesny.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side have been classed as contenders for Vicario for as long as Spurs have, incidentally.
Therefore, all three are feasible bidders for Vicario. He only cost Empoli €8.5million to sign in the summer, but although his current value is not referenced in the report, he is likely to cost more this year.
The uncapped Italy international has made 24 appearances in Serie A this season. During those games, he has kept seven clean sheets, but conceded 31 goals.
Given that he plays for a side in the bottom half of the table, his form has been impressive. Hence, he may be capable of representing a bigger club.
If Tottenham choose him as their next goalkeeper, they would be giving him his first taste of Premier League football. In fact, Vicario has never played for a team outside his native Italy.
Regardless, he is one to keep an eye on as Tottenham try to narrow down their long list of options to take over from the long-serving Lloris.
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