Tottenham: £17m star will be 'smart Postecoglou signing' at Hotspur Way | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are set to make a 'smart signing' as luring Empoli star Guglielmo Vicario to Hotspur Way could allow Ange Postecoglou to secure up to four more fresh faces, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

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Having been appointed as Spurs' new head coach earlier this month, Postecoglou is looking to strengthen the squad he has inherited.

Tottenham transfer news - Guglielmo Vicario

According to The Guardian, Postecoglou is on the verge of making Vicario his latest Tottenham acquisition after agreeing a fee.

The report suggests the north Londoners are set to pay Empoli close to £17million for the goalkeeper's services, while he is due to pen a long-term contract which will keep him on Spurs' books until the summer of 2028.

It comes after respected journalist Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Brentford's £40million price tag for David Raya had resulted in Tottenham looking at alternative options.

Vicario will fly to London soon, when he will complete the switch by signing on the dotted line after undergoing medical tests.

It is understood that Postecoglou will turn his attentions towards getting a deal for Leicester City talisman James Maddison over the line after the Italian's move is completed, while Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba is also being targeted.

What has Dean Jones said about Vicario?

Having spoken to contacts who have seen Vicario in action, Jones believes Tottenham are on the brink of pulling off a shrewd piece of business by getting the custodian through the door.

The transfer insider feels choosing to pursue the 26-year-old instead of Raya has also saved enough cash to allow Postecoglou to bring in up to four further additions.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: "I have heard good things about Guglielmo Vicario. On the surface, the reaction is to look at the fee, look at his name, and think Spurs are just being cheap and hoping for the best.

"But I have spoken to a couple of people that have watched him, and they seem to believe this is genuinely quite a smart signing and that it might work out pretty well if it also opens up cash that can be spent in other positions as Postecoglou looks to level-up the squad from last season.

"I think we will see at least three, but probably four, more signings to come this summer at Spurs."

Is Vicario good enough to become Tottenham's No.1?

According to FBref, Vicario boasted a better save percentage and conceded fewer goals, on average, per 90 minutes than Hugo Lloris last season.

There is uncertainty over the Spurs captain's future due to being set to enter the final 12 months of his £100,000-per-week contract and attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, and it could be argued that the Empoli shot-stopper would be an upgrade.

Sofascore data highlights that Vicario made 97 saves during the 2022/23 Serie A campaign, while he also kept seven clean sheets and repelled a penalty.

Those figures emphasise that the former Venezia man, who was handed an average match rating of 6.85 by WhoScored, is a safe pair of hands.

Vicario has recorded close to 60 shut-outs