Juventus Signs Guglielmo Vicario After Abandoning Emiliano Martinez Pursuit

Juventus have abandoned their chase for Emiliano Martinez and thrown their weight behind a different solution between the posts: Guglielmo Vicario.

After weeks of back-and-forth with Aston Villa, the talks hit a wall. Villa stood firm on a €15m (£12.8m) price tag, and Juventus simply walked away. No discount, no deal.

So the Bianconeri pivoted – and did it quickly. As reported by The Athletic, Juventus reached a full agreement with Tottenham on Monday to bring Vicario back to Serie A, a return to Italy for the 29-year-old just a year after he left Empoli for north London.

This is not a heavy, all-in gamble. Tuttosport detail a loan move with a non-mandatory €10.5m (£9m) purchase option, giving Juventus a full season to study Vicario up close before deciding whether to make the transfer permanent. For a club reshaping its squad and its wage bill, it is a calculated, budget-conscious play rather than a splash.

The move also underlines a shift in direction at Tottenham. Roberto De Zerbi has already marked out Antonin Kinsky as his preferred number one, clearing the path for Vicario’s exit. The Italian’s time in England started brightly but turned complicated: a mixed campaign, some high-profile errors, and then hernia surgery in March that cost him his starting place.

Now he walks into one of the most demanding dressing rooms in Europe. Vicario joined Spurs from Empoli for around €20m and was quickly anointed as Hugo Lloris’s successor. At Juventus, he is expected to do more than just compete. He is arriving to take charge.

That has immediate consequences in Turin. With Vicario lined up to become first choice, Michele Di Gregorio’s position looks increasingly fragile. According to Fabrizio Romano, Juventus have already offered the current keeper to Marseille and other European clubs on loan, a clear sign of where the hierarchy is heading.

The profile fits what Luciano Spalletti wants. The Italy coach, now shaping Juventus’ identity, has pushed for a goalkeeper who can play out from the back with confidence – a quality Vicario showed consistently during his early months at Tottenham. His performances dipped as last season wore on, but inside the club there is a strong belief that a return to Serie A’s tactical rhythms and structures can restore his best form.

Vicario’s arrival is not an isolated tweak. It is another piece in a broader summer rebuild. With Jhon Lucumi already signed from Bologna to reinforce the defence, Juventus are methodically rearming their backline. A new centre-back, a new goalkeeper, a new way of building from deep.

Now it is on Vicario to prove that this homecoming is not just a second chance, but the moment he finally nails down the number one shirt at a club built on great goalkeepers.