Juventus Sign Guglielmo Vicario After Abandoning Emiliano Martinez Pursuit
Juventus have abandoned their chase for Emiliano Martinez and thrown their weight behind a very different solution: Guglielmo Vicario, returning to Serie A after a turbulent year in north London.
For weeks, the Italian club pushed Aston Villa in talks for Martinez, only to hit a brick wall. Villa refused to move from their €15m (£12.8m) valuation. Juventus walked. No compromise, no late twist.
The response from Turin was immediate. According to The Athletic, Juventus reached a full agreement with Tottenham on Monday for Vicario, handing the 29-year-old a route back to Italy just a year after he left Empoli for the Premier League.
This is not a heavy, all-in gamble. As reported by Tuttosport, the deal is a loan with a non-mandatory €10.5m (£9m) option to buy. Juventus get a season to study Vicario up close, test his temperament, his feet, his command of the box – and only then decide whether to commit. After the stalemate over Martinez, it is a cheaper, more flexible play.
For Tottenham, the move underlines a shift in direction under Roberto De Zerbi. The new head coach has already earmarked Antonin Kinsky as his first-choice goalkeeper, leaving Vicario surplus to requirements after a season that promised much but ultimately faded.
Vicario’s debut campaign in England started brightly. He stepped into the void left by Hugo Lloris after a €20m move from Empoli and initially looked every inch the modern Spurs keeper – proactive, brave, aggressive with the ball at his feet. Then came the errors, the hesitations, the moments that cost points. A hernia operation in March cut short his season and with it his hold on the No 1 shirt.
Now he heads to one of Italy’s grandest stages, with Juventus in the middle of a defensive rebuild and expectations as high as ever.
His arrival sends a clear message inside the dressing room. Vicario is not coming to sit on the bench. He is expected to take the gloves, which throws the future of Michele Di Gregorio into serious doubt. According to Fabrizio Romano, Juventus have already offered Di Gregorio to Marseille and other European clubs on loan, anticipating a reshuffle in the goalkeeping hierarchy.
This move also ticks a key box for Luciano Spalletti. The Juventus coach has pushed for a goalkeeper comfortable playing out from the back, someone who can start attacks as well as end them. Vicario showed that profile in his early months at Tottenham, often stepping high, demanding the ball, and threading passes through the first line of pressure.
His form dipped, yes, but Juventus believe the tactical structure and rhythm of Serie A will suit him better than the frantic pace of the Premier League. In Italy, positioning and anticipation are prized as highly as raw shot-stopping. Vicario has already proved he can thrive in that environment once. Juventus are betting he can do it again.
The transfer slots into a broader reconstruction of the “Old Lady’s” backline. Jhon Lucumi has already arrived from Bologna to reinforce central defence, and now Vicario is set to anchor the last line as Spalletti reshapes the team from the back.
Juventus have chosen their goalkeeper for the new cycle. The question now is simple: can Vicario turn a second chance in Serie A into the defining chapter of his career?
