Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is set to join Juventus on an initial loan move, talkSPORT understands.
The Old Lady have accelerated a move to bring the Italy international back to Serie A after withdrawing their interest in Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.
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Vicario had been regarded as a viable option for Juventus in their quest to sign a new number one between the sticks.
The 29-year-old has been expected to depart north London this window having lost his starting spot to Antonin Kinsky at the end of last season.
Kinsky came into the team after Vicario was forced to undergo hernia surgery in March, with the Czech Republic international starting the final seven Premier League matches.
Despite being fit for the final two games as Spurs battled relegation, boss Roberto De Zerbi opted to stick with Kinsky.
Vicario had been linked with a move to join Serie A champions Inter Milan after agreeing personal terms.
But Inter instead opted to bring in Ivan Provedel from Lazio – opening the door for Juventus to be given a free run.
And they have had a loan bid with an option to buy clause – believed to be worth around £8.5million – accepted by Tottenham.
Why did Juventus pull out of a deal to sign Martinez?
It had been thought that Martinez would join Juventus, with the ex-Arsenal man telling Villa that he wanted to leave and join the two-time Champions League winners in June.
We told you on Sunday how Juve had submitted an £8.5m offer for the 2022 World Cup winner.
The Turin giants launched an initial £6m bid with £2.5m to be paid in potential add-ons.
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However, with Villa demanding an £8.5m flat fee, Juve ultimately decided to not proceed with another offer.
Juventus had concerns over Martinez’s broken finger, which he sustained in the warm-up of Villa’s eventual Europa League final win over Freiburg in May.
Martinez revealed last month that he had been playing through the pain barrier while on World Cup duty with Argentina.
He said: “It still hurts every day, I knew it was going to hurt a lot. I avoided surgery.
“All the specialists I consulted told me I had to have surgery or I wouldn’t be able to play.”
He added: “Throughout the entire group stage I couldn’t train with the group and it affected me because it’s something I love.
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“Afterwards, from Egypt onward, I trained normally and I feel much better.
“Up until two days before the first match [3-0 win over Algeria], I was playing with one hand, I looked like I had one arm.
“Now, continuing and talking to people, it’s all in my head. It doesn’t affect me at all.”
Martinez now faces an uncertain future at Villa Park with Unai Emery’s side close to bringing in Parma star Zion Suzuki, with talkSPORT exclusively informing you of a possible deal on Saturday.
