"Tottenham will forever have a special place in my heart" — that's how Guglielmo Vicario signed off after completing his loan move to Juventus on Tuesday, ending a two-year spell at Spurs that included 117 appearances and a Europa League winner's medal.
The 29-year-old arrived at Tottenham from Empoli in summer 2023 and quickly established himself as one of the better goalkeepers in the Premier League. His move to Turin comes with an option for Juventus to make the deal permanent at £8.5 million — a relatively modest fee for a goalkeeper of his calibre, which tells you something about where Spurs currently stand in terms of leverage.
A Europa League winner heading home
Vicario's Tottenham career won't be remembered as a quiet one. The defining moment: that late stop to deny Luke Shaw's header in the Bilbao Final, preserving Spurs' Europa League triumph. It's the kind of save that players — and fans — carry with them. He clearly does too, calling it "a memory that will never fade."
The Juventus move also has a personal dimension. Vicario grew up idolising Gianluigi Buffon, and now he's pulling on the same jersey at the same club. That's not a footnote — it's the kind of motivation that tends to produce good football.
For Spurs, the timing is awkward. Losing your first-choice goalkeeper at the start of a season under a new manager is never ideal, and whoever steps in will face immediate scrutiny. Roberto De Zerbi builds possession-heavy systems that demand a goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at their feet — finding a reliable replacement quickly matters more than it might look on paper. Spurs' defensive odds for the new season are worth a second look before the window closes.
Juventus, meanwhile, had been chasing Emiliano Martinez before switching to Vicario over the weekend. They got their man — and at that option fee, potentially a bargain. Whether it's enough to keep them competitive in Serie A is another question.
Vicario's farewell message ended simply: "THANK YOU." After 117 games and a European trophy, Spurs fans will probably echo that right back.
