Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has a huge job ahead in the next season.
There is a massive summer rebuild that is expected at Hotspur Way as the North Londoners look to take a major step forward under Roberto De Zerbi’s reins at N17.
And according to a new report from TEAMtalk, the Lilywhites are said to be actively exploring a departure for #1 Guglielmo Vicario. The former Empoli man already has interests from Juventus and Napoli as a potential return to Serie A remains on the cards after weeks of news and speculation.
But beyond his exit, what is more intriguing about the aforementioned report is that it claims Roberto De Zerbi has already identified his dream replacement for Vicario in a certain someone who is already balling in the English top tier, with Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen being prioritized at N17.
And if this is true, he would offer maybe the clearest indication of how exactly De Zerbi wants his Tottenham to play.
Why Verbruggen makes perfect sense
The link with Verbruggen is not surprising at all given that the Dutch international already knows how De Zerbi wants to play because he understands the demands of playing under the former Marseille manager better than almost any goalkeeper in Europe.
Both of them were together at Brighton, where Verbruggen became one of the most comfortable goalkeepers with the ball at his feet and regularly received the ball under pressure as he looked to help initiate buildup sequences from deep.
And that is almost a necessity in a De Zerbi team because he likes his team to invite pressure intentionally, and then he uses the keeper to have a numerical advantage in build-up, and from there every pass becomes part of a wider tactical trap.
Verbruggen has already proven that he can do so in the Premier League, and he is showing the same skill set in the World Cup as well with the Netherlands.
One of the biggest decisions of De Zerbi’s tenure at N17?
Vicario had already established himself as a known keeper when he signed for Tottenham, and there have been instances where he has proven himself worthy of that #1 shirt, but now with RDZ taking charge there will be new demands of that goalkeeping role.
While Vicario does have some of what it takes to play in a De Zerbi side, there have always been doubts about how reliable he can be, especially with set pieces and then also playing like the eleventh outfield player.
Tottenham are currently trying to get Vicario out of the club, and if that were to happen, it would be one of the bigger decisions of De Zerbi’s short tenure.