Vicario Heads Home: Tottenham Accept Juventus Loan Offer for Italian Goalkeeper
Tottenham have accepted a loan offer from Juventus for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with the Italian set to travel to Turin to finalise a return to Serie A (BBC Sport).
The deal includes a non-mandatory purchase option of £8.6m — meaning Juventus can buy Vicario outright next summer but are not compelled to. Vicario's contract at Spurs runs until 2027, so even if the loan does not become permanent, Tottenham retain a valuable asset (GianlucaDiMarzio.com).
For Vicario, the move is a chance to restart a career that stalled in north London. The 29-year-old Italy international joined Spurs from Empoli for £17.2m in 2023 and went on to make 117 appearances, becoming a popular figure among supporters. But he lost his place under manager Roberto de Zerbi, who promoted understudy Antonin Kinsky — a young Czech goalkeeper — to the No. 1 spot last season (BBC Sport).
De Zerbi has since confirmed Kinsky will remain first-choice for the new campaign, with Martin Dubravka signed on a free transfer from Burnley in July to provide experienced cover. That left Vicario firmly third in the pecking order.
Juventus arrived at Vicario's door through a winding transfer trail. Their primary target had been Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, the World Cup-winning Argentine, but that pursuit collapsed — partly because Martinez was carrying an injured finger and was unavailable for selection. Juventus then turned to Parma's Zion Suzuki, a Japan international who had impressed in Serie A, but Parma's €35m asking price proved too steep (Tottenham Hotspur Media Watch).
With Suzuki out of reach, Juventus pivoted to Vicario — a player they had been monitoring since early August, when they made an initial indirect approach to Spurs and waited for an opening to negotiate a loan (GianlucaDiMarzio.com). Gazzetta dello Sport reported on 16 August that Tottenham had been convinced to sanction the loan, with the deal potentially finalised within 48 hours (Gazzetta dello Sport). By the next day, the BBC confirmed the agreement was in place.
For Juventus, it is a pragmatic piece of business. They land a goalkeeper with Serie A experience who knows the rhythm of Italian football, without committing to a large fee upfront. The £8.6m option gives them flexibility — assess Vicario over a season, then decide.
For Tottenham, the logic is equally clean. De Zerbi has his goalkeeping hierarchy settled, and loaning out a player who would otherwise sit on the bench makes financial and sporting sense. If Vicario impresses in Turin, Spurs can command a fee. If he does not, he returns to a squad that still holds his registration.
For Vicario himself, it is a homecoming that few would have predicted when he was commanding his penalty area at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A goalkeeper who once looked like a long-term solution now gets the chance to prove he still is one — just wearing different colours.
