Tottenham have agreed personal terms with Guglielmo Vicario after reaching a verbal agreement with Empoli to sign the highly-rated goalkeeper this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
News broke on Wednesday evening that Spurs were in for Vicario with Sky Sports one of several media outlets reporting that Tottenham have verbally agreed a deal with Empoli worth around £17m.
The North Londoners are expected to submit the formal offer today and it will be accepted by the Serie A outfit following successful talks between the two clubs.
Romano now claims that Tottenham have agreed personal terms with the 26-year-old – who’s set to join the Premier League giants on a five-year contract tying him to the club until 2028.
Vicario is expected to serve as a possible replacement for long-serving skipper Hugo Lloris – who is set to leave the New Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.
The North Londoners’ No.1 target was Brentford shot-stopper David Raya. Spurs agreed personal terms with Raya ahead of the possible move but the Bees’ £40m asking price proved to be a stumbling block.
The ball-playing goalkeeper has just one year left on his current contract with the club and has decided not to extend it. Brentford signed Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Freiburg as his potential replacement, paving the way for Raya to leave this summer.
However, a deal could not be reached between the two clubs after several weeks of negotiations as Ange Postecoglou’s side were reluctant to meet Brentford’s valuation, hence Tottenham had to turn to other alternatives and are now closing in on Vicario.
Possible replacement for Hugo Lloris
Lloris could finally say goodbye to Tottenham after an 11-year spell at the club, though his contract will expire in 2024. The former France international has made a total of 447 appearances and kept 151 appearances across all competitions.
The 36-year-old was unimpressive in goal last term as Spurs shipped in 63 goals in 38 league games and he made the most errors (four) leading to goals in the top-flight.
He believes it’s time to move on therefore Tottenham need to bring in a new shot-stopper. According to Sky Sports, Tottenham’s deal to sign Vicario from Empoli will include bonuses on top of the initial £17m offer made by the club.
The 26-year-old has emerged as one of the best young goalkeepers in the Serie A following his outstanding performances for Empoli last season. He joined Empoli from Cagliari in 2021, initially on loan, and has since become a fan favourite at Carlo Castellani Stadium.
The Italy goalkeeper has racked up 71 appearances in all competitions and kept 14 clean sheets in the process. Last season, he featured in 32 games and kept seven clean sheets as they finished 14th in Serie A.
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