Guglielmo Vicario agrees to join Inter Milan from Tottenham this summer.
Guglielmo Vicario has reached a basic agreement to join Inter Milan this summer on a four-year contract worth €3 million per season, with Tottenham Hotspur having given the green light for the goalkeeper’s departure, according to GiveMeSport.
The 29-year-old has been Tottenham’s first-choice goalkeeper for three seasons, but it appears all parties have accepted that the time has come to move on. The relationship between Vicario and the club deteriorated during Igor Tudor’s short reign, when the Italian was dropped for the Champions League first leg against Atletico Madrid in favour of Antonin Kinsky, a decision that ended in catastrophe on the pitch but left Vicario’s standing at the club permanently altered.
He is currently recovering from hernia surgery undertaken during the international break, though Roberto De Zerbi will be hoping to have him available again for the remaining fixtures of the season.
Inter are described as having Vicario as their absolute number one target to replace the outgoing Yann Sommer this summer. With a personal agreement essentially in place and Tottenham willing to sanction the move, the only remaining obstacle is the two clubs agreeing a transfer fee. Inter are prepared to offer in the region of £15.5 to £17.5 million, a figure that may yet prove insufficient given the calibre of player involved, with Tottenham holding the leverage of a willing seller rather than a desperate one.
Bart Verbruggen to replace Vicario?
The search for a replacement is already underway. De Zerbi has given his approval for a move for Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, the 23-year-old Dutchman he personally signed during his time at the Amex. The connection between manager and player could prove decisive in what would be a straightforward cultural fit, with Verbruggen already familiar with the kind of possession-based, goalkeeper-as-sweeper style that De Zerbi demands from his number one.
James Trafford has also been linked as an alternative option. The England international has found regular football difficult to come by at Manchester City, spending much of the campaign as back-up to Gianluigi Donnarumma, and a move this summer could suit all parties.
The broader context surrounding Vicario’s departure is significant. Tottenham are currently in the relegation zone with six games remaining, and planning for a goalkeeper replacement while simultaneously fighting for Premier League survival is another illustration of the extraordinary juggling act the club’s hierarchy is being asked to perform. Losing their best goalkeeper, even one whose form has been inconsistent this season, adds further complexity to what is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential summers in the club’s modern history.
Whether Vicario departs as a Premier League or Championship goalkeeper remains to be seen. Either way, the end of his Tottenham chapter now appears a matter of when rather than if.