Tottenham could be forced into a major goalkeeping decision this summer, with Benifica’s Anatoliy Trubin emerging as a possible answer if Guglielmo Vicario returns to Italy.
Trubin has already built an unusually substantial career for a goalkeeper who does not turn 25 until August.
The Ukrainian joined Shakhtar Donetsk’s academy as a child and made his senior debut in May 2019. By the 20/21 season, he had displaced the vastly experienced Andriy Pyatov as Shakhtar’s regular goalkeeper and was playing Champions League football while still in his teens.
UEFA highlighted his 6 foot 6 height, reflexes and footwork after he started five of Shakhtar’s six Champions League group matches in that campaign and recorded three clean sheets.
His performances against Real Madrid were particularly important to his growing reputation.
Trubin kept a clean sheet in Shakhtar’s 2-0 victory over the Spanish giants in December 2020, making several saves and showing the composure required to perform against an elite side.
He eventually made 94 senior appearances for Shakhtar, winning three Ukrainian league titles and the Ukrainian Super Cup before Benfica signed him in August 2023.
Benfica handed Trubin a contract until 2028 and quickly made him their first-choice goalkeeper.
He reached 100 appearances for the Portuguese club by July 2025 and has racked up major experience in both the Primeira Liga and Europe.
His most extraordinary Benfica moment arrived against Real Madrid again in January 2026. With Benfica needing another goal to remain in the Champions League, Trubin went forward for a stoppage-time free-kick and scored a 98th-minute diving header to complete a 4-2 win.
The goal secured Benfica’s place in the knockout play-offs and made him only the fifth goalkeeper to score in the Champions League.
That moment showed his bravery, but his normal work remains far more relevant to Tottenham.
Trubin offers enormous reach and a commanding presence on crosses, and he is also used to playing for dominant sides that ask their goalkeeper to begin attacks, defend behind a high line and remain alert during long periods without facing a shot.
Those demands would make him a logical target for Roberto De Zerbi, and Spurs may need a new number one because Vicario’s future has been uncertain for some time.
He played 43 times last season despite undergoing hernia surgery in March, while one of his eight-save performances against Chelsea earned a nomination for the Premier League’s Goalkeeper Performance of the Season award.
However, Juventus have been linked with bringing Vicario back to Serie A, and Aston Villa are in a similar situation with Emiliano Martínez.
He was left out of Tottenham’s pre-season travelling squad because of what the club described as a minor injury, although reports in Italy interpreted the decision as another sign that a departure could be possible.
Martínez, meanwhile, remains under contract at Villa Park until 2029, but Juventus have pursued the Argentina international and reportedly had an opening offer rejected.
TalkSPORT previously reported that Martínez was interested in joining Juventus, although no agreement had been reached between the clubs.
Amid this goalkeeping uncertainty, an update on Trubin’s future has emerged, involving both Spurs and Villa.
Tottenham and Aston Villa lead race to sign Anatoliy Trubin
According to journalist Alessio Lento, those situations have brought Tottenham and Villa into the race for Trubin, who Benfica value at around £34 million.
Lento claims the two Premier League clubs are currently ahead of Juventus, with Spurs considering the Ukrainian as a replacement for Vicario and Villa assessing him to succeed Martínez.
No formal bid or agreement has been reported. Benfica are also in a powerful negotiating position because Trubin’s contract has another two years to run.
Nevertheless, his age, experience and suitability for possession-based football make him a believable Tottenham target.
Should Vicario leave, Spurs would be losing an established Premier League goalkeeper.
Trubin would not be a risk-free replacement, but his Champions League pedigree and long-term potential would give De Zerbi a goalkeeper capable of developing into one of the strongest in Europe, and the same can be said for Villa.
