Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has been one of the team's big disappointments this season, and while some of the struggles can be explained by the fact that he has been putting it all on the line by playing through a hernia, the reality is that the mental errors and lack of leadership cannot be explained by that injury alone.
Vicario has been a profound disappointment with the worst save percentage among current Premier League starters and somehow even worse errors on the ball with his passing and decision making, as well as howlers in basic positioning and handling of crosses. The Italian international was a star at Empoli in Serie A, but he has cost Spurs too many points, helping them lead down the rabbit hole of a Premier League relegation battle.
He is now close to a move back to Italy with giants Inter Milan, and Tottenham are dreaming of a top replacement. There is no better player available in goal than James Trafford to take over for Vicario. He is younger and better, and he clearly wants out after signing with Manchester City in the summer thinking he'd be a starter, only to realize he is just Gianluigi Donnarumma's backup.
James Trafford isn't expensive
According to a report from the Daily Mail's David Kent, Manchester City have set a very reasonable transfer fee of 35-40 million pounds in exchange for Trafford this summer now that they are going to be open to selling Donnarumma's star backup.
Trafford has shown that he has more than enough quality to start for a top team, and while Tottenham Hotspur would have to stay up in the Premier League to sign him, they may like their chances of doing that with Roberto De Zerbi now coaching them.
Spurs need a top keeper for the next several years, and, at 23 years of age, James Trafford can easily be that guy. And he is already superior to Guglielmo Vicario, just watching their consistency and decision making this season by comparison.
Since Tottenham can sell Vicario for 20-30 million pounds back to Inter for around the same fee they bought him for from Empoli, Trafford would only cost about 15-20 million pounds more despite being both younger and better with the upside of being a true top keeper in the Premier League. That small fee difference and the upgrade potential makes Trafford an absolute no brainer to sign.