Tottenham will have to sign a new goalkeeper to replace Inter Milan-linked Guglielmo Vicario.
With Roberto De Zerbi having signed a five-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur, he will have to undertake a big rebuilding of the club’s squad this summer. One suspects that bringing in a new goalkeeper to the club would be one of Roberto De Zerbi’s priorities this summer, no matter what happens with Spurs at the end of the season.
This is purely because Guglielmo Vicario is expected to leave Tottenham, as reported by reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano. Inter Milan are preparing to accelerate their pursuit of Vicario, who has emerged as the Serie A side’s primary target. The Nerazzurri are actively searching for a long-term successor to veteran goalkeeper Yann Sommer, and their officials feel Vicario is the right guy for that role.
Recent developments suggest Inter Milan have reached an agreement on personal terms with the Italian goalkeeper ahead of a possible summer swoop. This clearly demonstrates Vicario’s desire to end his turbulent three years at White Hart Lane and return to his homeland.
Tottenham keeping tabs on Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford
The Lilywhites need a reliable pair of hands, basically an upgrade on Vicario amid exit links. Back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky isn’t quite ready to compete at a high level, meaning the acquisition of a new goalkeeper is an absolute must.
According to a report from The Sun, Tottenham are interested in signing Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford. They are monitoring his situation at the Etihad Stadium, having identified the recently-capped England international as a candidate to succeed Vicario in goal next season.
James Trafford re-joined Manchester City from Burnley in a £27million deal last summer, expecting to be Pep Guardiola’s No.1. However, the Sky Blues later swooped to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma, who immediately displaced Trafford between the sticks. This has resulted in the 23-year-old not making a Premier League appearance since August 2025. He has been confined to just cup competitions, and the young Englishman impressed against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, which Man City won 2-0 last weekend.
Tottenham could face competition from Premier League rivals for Trafford’s signature. The report adds Newcastle United are right in the thick of the race. Should he become available, Newcastle United are deemed favourites to land City’s second goalkeeper. Additionally, Aston Villa are understood to be eyeing him as a potential replacement for Emiliano Martinez.
Trafford would be an excellent replacement for Vicario
Trafford has performed admirably well for City in the limited opportunities he’s had this season. To develop in his career, there is no chance he will be happy to play back-up to Donnarumma. So, he could push to leave his City for the second time in his career. If that happens, Tottenham must take advantage of the situation and try to bring the 23-year-old to N17.
Highly regarded in England, Trafford is technically strong and a good reader of the game to operate as a modern-day, ball-playing goalkeeper in De Zerbi’s system. The England international also commands the box very well and can start moves with his distribution skills.
However, Spurs could find it difficult to challenge Newcastle and Villa for Trafford’s services. Both Newcastle and Villa have stable projects and are pushing for European qualification, which could tempt Trafford to choose either one of them over Tottenham.