Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly on the verge of completing their first signing of the January transfer window, having agreed a deal for Slavia Prague goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
The Lilywhites have been working without number one Guglielmo Vicario for the past few weeks after the Italian shot-stopper fractured his ankle in the 4-0 win over Manchester City at the end of November.
It will be another couple of months before Vicario is considered for selection again, and ever since he entered the treatment room, the experienced Fraser Forster has been deputising in between the sticks.
Forster initially impressed in Vicario's absence, but he has since come in for heightened criticism after a number of high-profile mistakes and is now in the last six months of his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou's only other senior options in between the posts are Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman, but the pair are highly inexperienced at the top level, only playing one competitive Spurs game between them.
Tottenham to pay £12.5m for Kinsky?
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Following claims by Fabrizio Romano that Tottenham were on the cusp of completing a deal for Kinsky, football.london now reports that the 21-year-old will arrive in a £12.5m deal imminently.
The Slavia Prague goalkeeper is already said to travelled to London for his medical, having agreed personal terms over a long-term contract with the North London giants.
The formalities of Kinsky's move should be completed after Spurs' Premier League lunchtime clash with Newcastle United, and he will become their first arrival of the January transfer window.
Tottenham are also being linked with moves for a new centre-back in this month's market amid their defensive injury crisis, and Postecoglou could also pursue a new wide attacker before the window closes.
Spurs start the weekend in 11th place in the Premier League table, having failed to win any of their last three matches in England's top flight, and they are eight points below Newcastle in fifth position.
Who is Spurs' new goalkeeper?
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Born in the Czech Republic capital of Prague, Kinsky joined Slavia Prague as a teenager for just €160k (£132.8k) in 2021 but was sent out on loan three times before making his senior breakthrough.
However, the 21-year-old has excelled in between the posts for the Czech giants this season, making 30 appearances across all competitions and keeping 14 clean sheets, while only letting in 20 goals.
From 19 appearances in the Fortuna Liga, the top division of Czech football, Kinsky has recorded a staggering 12 shut-outs while conceding a mere seven goals, as his side sit seven points clear of Viktoria Plzen at the top of the table.
The 6ft 3in goalkeeper has also been called up to the last two Czech Republic squads in the UEFA Nations League, although he is still waiting to make his senior debut for his country.
Whether Kinsky immediately replaces Forster in between the posts remains to be seen, but the 21-year-old will be expected to play second fiddle to Vicario when the Italian is back, thereby relegating Forster to third choice ahead of a likely summer exit.
Ben Knapton
