Tottenham are throwing their weight behind Antonin Kinsky, effectively making him the club's new number one in an interesting gamble.
Spurs are bracing themselves to lose starting keeper Guglielmo Vicario this summer, with the Italian set to return home amid interest from Juventus and Inter Milan.
Amid an ongoing spending spree at Spurs this summer, it was at least half expected that Roberto De Zerbi signed a new starting keeper this summer, but it seems that will not be the case.
Kinsky has signed a new contract to keep him in place until 2031, and it's clear that De Zerbi sees him as a starter going forward.
De Zerbi on Kinsky new contract
Speaking to the official site upon Kinsky's new deal, De Zerbi said: "Toni was outstanding over the final seven games of the season and a key part of what we achieved in that period.
"I am delighted he has committed his future to the Club. He has earned this new contract, not only with his performances but also his professionalism and desire to improve.
"We have huge belief in what Toni can become. He is still young, has enormous potential and I know that Spurs is the perfect place for him to continue to develop into one of the best goalkeepers in Europe."
Kinsky does enough to impress, but is it still a gamble?
Few can argue against Kinsky's form during the final run-in last season. In the absence of Vicario through injury, the young stopper was instrumental in Spurs securing safety, and it's clear he has an impressive shot-stopping ability.
Much was made of that night in Madrid that saw him commit error after error and get substituted, but most Spurs fans knew that it was just one of those nights. Igor Tudor was criticised for the substitution, but it was likely fair on the basis that you take your worst players off the pitch in any other position, and the goalkeeper should be no exception.
If anything, Tudor, for all of his flaws, has likely been proven right in that Kinsky has learned a great deal from that occasion. He is certainly less likely to find himself in such a disastrous spot again.
Since then, Kisnky has done enough to at least force De Zerbi to consider becoming number one, and it looks as though he has won an opportunity.
But it is still a gamble based on the fact we are talking about a 23-year-old keeper with limited top-level experience. We know what he is capable of, but we do not know how he will respond to the trials and tribulations of a long Premier League season.
You never know until someone has the opportunity, so there is nothing wrong with the gamble, but it is surprising that an impatient manager like De Zerbi, who demands to win now, has placed his trust for such an important position in Kinsky at this stage of the keeper's career.
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