Spurs Eye Roma's Svilar as Vicario Struggles Continue - £60m Swoop on the Cards

Tottenham are preparing to join the race for AS Roma's Mile Svilar, with the north London club ready to challenge Manchester United and Chelsea for the Serbian shot-stopper's signature, according to Italian reports.

While a January move appears unlikely, securing a new number one has become increasingly urgent for Spurs, particularly given the ongoing struggles of their current first-choice keeper.

The Svilar Profile

Svilar, 26, may be familiar to some as the young Benfica goalkeeper who scored an own goal against Manchester United in the Champions League back in 2017. Despite that unfortunate moment, he has since developed into one of Europe's most accomplished keepers.

After five years with Benfica, he joined Roma on a free transfer in 2022 and has since made 112 appearances for the Serie A outfit. His performances in Italy have now attracted the attention of several Premier League heavyweights.

The Price Tag

Roma are demanding €70million (£60m) for their stopper following his new five-year contract signed last summer. According to reports from Asromalive.it, the fee would not deter interested English clubs, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham all understood to be "pursuing" the goalkeeper.

However, Serie A rivals Inter and AC Milan could yet prove decisive in this market. Milan face the prospect of losing Mike Maignan on a free transfer come the summer, while Inter are hunting for a long-term successor to Yan Sommer.

Intriguingly, Inter have registered interest in Spurs' Vicario, a move that could potentially unlock the door for Tottenham to make their own move for Svilar. Chelsea, meanwhile, remain keen on Maignan and may pivot to Svilar should the Frenchman extend his San Siro deal.

Manchester United's involvement has raised eyebrows given they only recruited Filip Lammens last summer. The Belgian has impressed this season, bringing a composure to their back line that has been missing since Andre Onana's arrival.

The Vicario Question

For Spurs, upgrading on Vicario feels increasingly urgent. The Italian has proven inconsistent since his 2022 move to the Premier League, with several costly errors in possession marring his performances. Beyond his ball-playing struggles, he frequently appears vulnerable defending set-pieces, though the occasional spectacular save helps mask these deficiencies.

Antonin Kinsky has not yet convinced Frank he can step up as a replacement, leaving the club in a tricky position. The situation reached a nadir during Spurs' 2-1 defeat to Fulham this season when Vicario was booed by supporters after gifting Harry Wilson the visitors' second goal.

Frank responded to the incident with criticism of the fans: "I heard some of our fans apparently booed the incident and booed after, which, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable. They can't be true Tottenham fans if they do that. Fair enough booing after the game, no problem, but when we are playing, we support each other and we are behind each other."

Svilar would represent a genuine upgrade on a keeper who has become a liability in possession and unconvincing under pressure. For Spurs, the summer transfer window cannot come quickly enough.