Tottenham sign goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Serie A club Empoli on five-year deal to replace Hugo Lloris

Tottenham Hotspur have signed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli on a five-year deal subject to international clearance and a work permit.

The two clubs reached a preliminary agreement on the transfer last week, with a fee of £17.2m (€20 million) plus potential bonuses successfully negotiated. The transfer marks a record-breaking sale for Empoli.

The 26-year-old has earned a reputation as one of the top-performing Italian goalkeepers during the 2022/23 season, having made 32 appearances for Empoli across Serie A and the Coppa Italia, conceding 41 goals over the course of the campaign.

Vicario initially joined Empoli on loan in July 2021, before the move was made permanent the following summer. Since then, the shot-stopper, who came through the Udinese academy, has made over 70 competitive appearances for the club.

Tottenham had an interest in signing Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, who only has one year left on his contract, but the club were hesitant to meet what they deemed a hefty £40 million price tag.

Hugo Lloris, Tottenham’s current first-choice goalkeeper, has made his desire to seek a new challenge known, saying: “We are coming to an important moment, whether for the club or for me. It’s the end of an era. I have desires for other things, I will ask myself quietly to study what will be possible.

“But I don’t forget that I still have a year of contract with Tottenham and that in football it is always difficult to predict what will happen. What is essential at the moment is to recover well from my injury. I’m on vacation but I continue to talk and do my training. My goal is to be on top in July, then we’ll see what the future holds.”