Tottenham Hotspur sign Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have announced the signing of Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, subject to international clearance and a work permit.

The 26-year-old has signed a five-year deal that will keep him in North London until the summer of 2028 and will join Spurs for a fee of around £17.2 million.

Vicario will replace club captain Hugo Lloris who is expected to leave the club as early as this summer in search of a fresh challenge despite having one year left on his current contract with Tottenham.

Spurs have been on the market for a new goalkeeper and were interested in signing Brentford shot-stopper David Raya who is also subject to interest from Manchester United.

They had agreed personal terms with Raya but were reluctant to match Brentford’s £40m asking price with the Spanish goalkeeper entering the final 12 months of his contract.

Brentford’s stance on Raya saw Spurs switch their attention to Vicario, who had caught the eye with his impressive performances during his two-year stint with Empoli.

Serie A top clubs Inter Milan, Juventus, and AS Roma were interested in the 26-year-old, while Premier League sides Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion were also monitoring his development.

Vicario’s arrival will likely see Tottenham end their interest in Raya, who has gone public with his desire to leave the Gtech Community Stadium this summer.

The Italian becomes Tottenham’s second signing of the Premier League transfer window after Dejan Kulusevski joined from Juventus on a permanent deal.

There is bound to be more incoming transfers, with Spurs keen to hand new manager Ange Postecoglou a competitive squad as they look to return to the Champions League places next season.

Tottenham are also pushing to beat Newcastle United to the signing of wantaway Leicester City midfielder James Maddison.

They have agreed personal terms with the England international and will now focus on negotiating a lesser transfer fee with Leicester, who value their star player at £60m.