Much of the fanbase awoke on Monday morning and breathed a sigh of relief.
Fabrizio Romano delivered a "here we go!" No, not on the Savinho deal; we'll get at some point in the 2030s, I'm sure. Spurs are still in their selling era, and more deadwood has been removed with the loan of Guglielmo Vicario to Juventus.
For the bulk of his time in north London, Vicario was anything but deadwood. He was so impressive at the start of his Spurs career, when he was forced into a glut of outstanding saves every week by Ange Postecoglou's all-or-nothing approach.
It seemed as if we'd acquired our long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, who drifted away in 2023 after an awkward end to his Lilywhite journey. However, once injuries got a hold of Vicario and the confidence that defined his early Spurs work faded away, the Italian developed into a figure of chaos between the posts.
He quickly became a shot-stopper few of us could trust, with errors becoming more frequent, inexplicable and comedic. A hernia compromised his 2025/26 campaign, and he never got his job back once Roberto De Zerbi got his hands on Antonín Kinsky: our young Czech goalkeeper with silky feet and a fierce mentality.
It's long been established that Kinsky is the new No. 1, with veteran Martin Dúbravka signed as his reserve. We've tried to ship Vicario back to Italy all summer, and finally the cards have fallen into place for Spurs to do a deal.
Small Vicario transfer fee expected given dwindling stock
We didn't have a choice but to get rid of Vicario. He couldn't waste away as our third-choice goalkeeper until January; that wouldn't be fair on anyone.
Yes, he was wretched last season, but the Italian deserved his move, and he's got a big one by heading to Juve. Sure, the Bianconeri aren't the force they once were, but there's an aura surrounding the Old Lady that won't cease until dissolution.
And with Michele Di Gregorio moving on, there's a chance for Vicario to become the club's new No. 1 during his loan spell, thus boosting his chances of usurping Gianluigi Donnarumma in the national team setup.
Spurs, though, are essentially giving him away. While Vicario's value has plummeted after a poor campaign and a couple of notable injuries, Juve have the option of buying him outright for a meagre €2m next year. The loan fee is €8m, so €10m total.
It's not a lot, but what could we really expect? He was always going to go back to the cash-strapped Serie A, and if Juve to take up the buy option, they'd have signed him for half the price we paid for him three years ago, when his stock was considerably higher after a strong season with Empoli.
While the midfield market, for example, has gone absolutely mad this summer, clubs remain hesitant to fork out big fees for goalkeepers. Only 10 in history have cost more than €35m.
Without any leverage, Spurs weren't in a position to demand anything from anyone. They had to take what they could get, and Juve's package has sufficed.
Add us as a preferred source on Google