Tottenham Hotspur have one of the top performing goalkeepers in the Premier League right now in Italian international Guglielmo Vicario, and while he is in the shadow of Gianluigi Donnarumma for both club and country, there is no question that when he is at the top of his game, the former Empoli man can single handedly keep his club in matches.
Vicario has done that quite a few times this season, including in the Champions League against Monaco, and while he can make basic errors in goal that frustrate fans, Spurs supporters who wanted him benched for young Antonin Kinsky have been quickly proven wrong by the cat-like keeper.
The thing is, Tottenham may be quietly compiling a list of goalkeeper opportunities on the transfer market to compete with Vicario and Kinsky, and there is a certain market opportunity that is quietly becoming available whom Spurs may not be able to pass up on.
James Trafford now knows something about being in the shadow of Donnarumma. He signed with Manchester City as the most coveted young goalkeeper in England, and now he's buried on the bench behind one of the top three goalkeepers in world football.
Disgruntled and wanting out in January, Trafford has piqued the interest of several Premier League clubs. According to a report from TEAMtalk's Fraser Fletcher, Tottenham have joined rivals West Ham, as well as Newcastle, the current favorites to sign Trafford, with interest in the Manchester City star.
It doesn't seem like Tottenham have an especially strong interest in Trafford, which makes sense since they do have Vicario starting with Kinsky waiting in the wings. However, they are involved in the sweepstakes, and if Trafford really bullies his way out the door, Pep Guardiola is going to have a hard time justifying keeping him in January with Donnarumma soaking up all the starts.
Trafford is only 23 while Vicario is 29, so there's the age factor, as well as the fact that Trafford may already be just as good. He has the same athleticism to make brilliant saves yet actually has more discipline to avoid mistakes. And even if Vicario is slightly better now, Trafford may be way better in five years.
A lot of the Trafford talk will actually depend more on how Thomas Frank and Tottenham feel about young Kinsky's developmental potential, though, at this juncture, their feelings on Kinsky remain entirely unclear.