Guglielmo Vicario's expected return to Italy this summer will bring to an end three seasons of joyous then dismal chaos at the goalkeeper position for Tottenham Hotspur.
Vicario once represented Ange Postecoglou's upwardly mobile Lilywhites, who's frenetic nature between the posts epitomised a frantic game model that dazzled just as much as it bewildered.
For a while, it appeared as if the former Empoli shot-stopper would stick around for the long haul. However, Vicario hasn't ever been the same since breaking his ankle midway through the 2024/25 campaign, with his decision-making over the past 12 months, before he underwent surgery for a hernia, becoming more bizarre and developing into a distinct hinderance.
His summer move to Inter Milan is as good as done, with the Nerazzurri on the hunt for a potential Yann Sommer usurper. Vicario has the potential to be that guy, but only if a sense of stability is restored within.
For Spurs, there will be a new No. 1 in town come the start of 2026/27. Whom that is likely depends on our Premier League status, but the club may believe they already have Vicario's successor on their books.
Here are four goalkeepers who could be Tottenham's starter next season.
They said his career in north London was "over" after those 17 humiliating minutes at the Metropolitano. AntonÃn Kinsky's Champions League debut couldn't have gone any worse, with three rapid concessions, two of which were woeful Kinsky blunders, convincing Igor Tudor to turn to Vicario off the bench.
As Kinsky stormed past our former interim manager and down the tunnel, consoled by a couple of his teammates, you did wonder how this vulnerable young Czech goalkeeper could ever come back from that?
Well, Vicario's hernia offered Kinsky an immediate shot at redemption. He's started all four games under Roberto De Zerbi and has struggled to put a foot wrong, with his confidence in possession quickly restored. Suddenly, he looks like the hugely promising talent who was named Man of the Match on his Spurs debut again.
Kinsky will almost certainly be the starter if we succumb to the second tier, but there's bound to be stiff competition if we stay up.
There seemingly isn't a club in English football that hasn't been linked with a move for Manchester City's James Trafford.
Trafford joined the Cityzens last summer expecting to be their starter, but the surprising availability of Champions League winner Gianluigi Donnarumma forced the once-perennial champions to double-dip.
Trafford hasn't had much of a look-in as a result, with his opportunities limited to the domestic cup competitions after Donnarumma made his Premier League bow in September. The young Englishman laid out his credentials in the Carabao Cup final, executing a superb triple save early on in the 2-0 victory over Arsenal, and it's clear that he's far too good to be rotting on the bench in Manchester.
This is a potential future England No. 1, and a pursuit of Trafford does make a whole lot of sense. However, a bucket load of teams also have a similar idea, so Johan Lange will have to do some serious persuading to convince Trafford that De Zerbi's project is the right one for him.
De Zerbi could turn to his former employers for upgrades at multiple positions this summer. There was overlap between the Italian and Bart Verbruggen on the south coast, with the Dutch international joining the Seagulls in 2023.
Verbruggen did lose his starting job at one point to Jason Steele, with De Zerbi appreciating the Englishman's ball-playing abilities, but the Dutchman is certainly no slouch in that regard. He'll start between the posts at the World Cup for the Netherlands this summer off the back of an excellent Premier League season.
According to Opta, Verbruggen leads the division with 6.4 goals prevented, highlighting his shot-stopping prowess, and also boasts the fourth-highest save percentage (70.2). He's certainly grown since De Zerbi's departure, with Fabian Hürzeler saying towards the end of 2024 that Verbruggen, then only 21, reminded him of Manuel Neuer. Lofty praise.
âNeuer plays a very modern style, heâs good with his feet, always very reactive and has the ability to make great saves. It is similar to Bart," the Brighton boss said.
Verbruggen does have a Hugo Lloris brain fade in him, but you'd struggle to find a goalkeeper who doesn't.
Ideally, Tottenham wouldn't have to shell out a small fortune to acquire their No. 1 for the long haul this summer. The scouting and purchase of Kinsky last January was a rare box tick for Lange and company, with the young Czech a potential option to succeed Vicario, as we've mentioned.
If we are to go down a different route, likely restricting Kinsky to a back-up role, then a considerable fee will likely have to be shelled out. Brighton won't let Verbruggen walk for peanuts, and Sunderland will drive a hard bargain for their starting goalkeeper, Robin Roefs.
The Black Cats spent no more than £10 million to sign the NEC Nijmegen shot-stopper last August, and could bank a hefty profit if they're swept off their feet by an offer this summer. Pete O'Rourke believes Tottenham are plotting a move.
Roefs has had an excellent debut season on Wearside, helping Sunderland retain their top-flight status without much fuss. He's made the second-most saves in the Premier League (103) and has the fifth-highest save percentage (70.1).
De Zerbi will love what the Dutchman can do with the ball at his feet, that's for sure. Like Kinsky, Roefs is comfortable off both over a variety of distances.