BBC: Spurs, Juventus in agreement for Vicario loan with £8.6m purchase option

Cue the aghast sounds from Tottenham Hotspur’s fan base. According to Nizaar Kinsella at the BBC, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus have come to an agreement for the transfer of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. The deal is apparently a season-long loan with a purchase option — not obligation — in the amount of €8.6m (£7.3).

I’m not wild about this deal and here’s why: Vicario has two years left on his initial five year contract when he signed for Spurs for £16.25m in 2023. While the loan almost certainly has a loan fee and the option of £7.3m would represent at minimum Spurs breaking even from an accounting standpoint on what they paid for Vicario, the loan gives Juventus a convenient excuse to back out of the deal by crying poverty, or at minimum an opening to renegotiate the option to something even lower. If Juve backs out of the deal suddenly Spurs are left next summer with a disgruntled Italian keeper in the last year of his contract and a significantly reduced transfer value. It sucks.

I was hoping for an obligation — get Juventus on the hook to pay SOMETHING real at the beginning of next summer for a player that Roberto De Zerbi clearly does not have in his plans. But I guess it’s better than nothing — Googly Elmo gets to return to his homeland and since Spurs aren’t in Europe they can pretend he doesn’t exist for a year. But while Spurs have been undoubtedly much better this summer at getting unwanted players out the door for whatever price they can manage, I can’t say I’m happy with this particular deal.