Tottenham now keen on signing “elite” £76k-p/w goalkeeper to replace Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on signing an “elite” Champions League goalkeeper, who could be brought in as a replacement for Guglielmo Vicario.

Spurs eyeing new goalkeeper amid Vicario criticism

Tottenham have been underperforming as a collective this season, currently sitting 13th in the Premier League, having won just one of their last five matches, but their goalkeeper has received some particularly heavy criticism.

Following the 3-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest last month, Jamie Carragher slammed Vicario for refusing to take responsibility, saying: “Typical Vicario, he’s always blaming someone else. Every time I see him when a goal goes in, he’s throwing his arms at someone else.”

Since then, the Italian has gone on to put in some improved performances, keeping clean sheets in two of his last four matches, but Jamie O’Hara remains unconvinced by the goalkeeper.

Interestingly, a report from TEAMtalk has revealed Tottenham have ‘growing concerns’ about whether the 29-year-old has a long-term future in north London, and they have now started looking at replacements.

The report states Tottenham are now keen on signing Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who could be allowed to leave the Spanish club this year, despite being highly regarded at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Indeed, the Spanish club may now be willing to sanction Lunin’s departure, given that he has found game time hard to come by this season, and youngster Javi Navarro could be utilised as a back-up to Thibaut Courtois.

There could be fierce competition for the Ukrainian’s signature, with Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion also named as interested parties, and there is a belief a move to the Premier League would strongly appeal to the £76k-a-week shot-stopper.

Lunin could be "elite" as a first-choice goalkeeper

The 26-year-old has made just two appearances for Madrid in all competitions this season, which came in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, suggesting he may need to leave the European giants for the good of his career.

The Ukraine international being a back-up goalkeeper arguably isn’t a great sign, but in fairness, he is playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois, and he has impressed at Real Madrid when given the opportunity.

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Lauded as “elite” by scout Ben Mattinson, the Madrid ace played a major role in his side reaching the Copa del Rey final last season, keeping a clean sheet and making five saves from inside the box in a 1-0 win against Real Sociedad in the semi-final.

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The Kharkiv-born goalkeeper has also proven himself in the Champions League, making 13 appearances in Europe’s elite competition, including eight en-route to glory in the 2023/24 edition, during which time he received high praise from Carlo Ancelotti.

As such, should Tottenham decide not to persist with Vicario as their first-choice goalkeeper, Lunin could be a solid replacement.

In the coming days: Liverpool set to seal better move than Semenyo for £43m

Liverpool look set to miss out on a deal to sign Antoine Semenyo from Premier League side Bournemouth, as he closes in on a move to their rivals.

Manchester City are reportedly close to sealing a swoop for the Ghana international after positive talks with the Cherries, and the transfer could be completed in the coming days now that the January transfer window is open.

The Reds were said to be in the race to land the £65m-rated left winger at the end of last month, but the Cityzens appear to have won the race for his signature.

Semenyo’s return of nine goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, suggest that it is a blow for Liverpool to miss out on his services this month.

Liverpool set to sign £43m star in January

However, the reigning Premier League champions are reportedly closing in on another player who could be an even better signing than Semenyo.

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According to the Mirror, Liverpool are set to complete a deal to sign Club Brugge central defender Joel Ordonez in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Reds are poised to wrap up a move for the Ecuador international ‘in the coming days’, as they close in on their first signing of the month.

It adds that the initial fee for the centre-back is expected to be around £35m, but it could rise to £43m if add-ons are achieved, with Arne Slot keen to bolster his backline.

The outlet explains that Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury and the fact that Ibrahima Konate’s contract expires at the end of the season have played a part in Liverpool’s move for Ordonez.

Why Ordonez is a better signing than Semenyo

Whilst missing out on Semenyo will be frustrating, because of his impressive output at the top end of the pitch this season, the Club Brugge centre-back could be an even better signing for the second half of the campaign and beyond.

Liverpool currently rank joint-fifth for goals in the Premier League this season, with 30 goals scored. Meanwhile, they rank joint-10th for goals conceded, with 26, and only eight teams have conceded more goals.

Konate’s individual errors have been costly for the Reds. Liverpool podcaster and writer Eddie Gibbs described him as “Liverpool’s most alarming fault line” who “looks like a footballer fighting his own reflection” earlier this season.

Jamie Carragher ripped into his defensive work in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road last month, as his defending partially led to the team giving up 2-0 and 3-2 leads.

The France international has been too much of a defensive liability this term, with six errors leading to shots, goals or penalties, per Sofascore, and Ordonez could come in to improve Slot’s backline by providing a more reliable presence alongside Virgil van Dijk.

25/26 season (all comps)

Konate

Ordonez

Appearances

24

21

Error led to shot

4

1

Error led to goal

1

0

Penalties committed

1

0

Dribbled past

6x

5x

Fouls committed

28

18

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Club Brugge star has only made one error in 21 appearances in the Pro League and the Champions League combined this season, whilst he has also committed ten fewer fouls than the Liverpool flop.

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These statistics suggest that Ordonez is less likely to make costly errors at the back for the Reds, which could tighten up their defence and improve their defensive record in the second half of the campaign.

The 21-year-old star, who was described as “imressively complete” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also a consistent defender, as he only made one error that led to a shot or a goal for the opposition in his first two seasons in the Pro League with Club Brugge, per Sofascore.

Therefore, Ordonez would be an even better signing than Semenyo could have been because he has the quality to have a bigger short-term impact in an area of the pitch that Liverpool have struggled more in, whilst he is also four years younger than the attacker and has more scope to develop further in the future.

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The Ecuador international is also five years younger than Konate, whose contract expires in the summer, and this piece of business could ensure that they have their new long-term right-sided centre-back in the building already.

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