Well, this wasn’t the transfer rumor I was expecting. According to Italian journalist Mateo Moretto, West Ham is apparently in active negotiations with Tottenham and are close to signing Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky on loan until the end of the season. The agreement would also have a purchase option this summer.
Wild, and totally not what I saw coming. Now, you could ask yourself why an Italian journalist would have the scoop on a Czech keeper potentially switching between two English sides. I myself am asking myself this same question! It does seem like a bit of a weird deal. Kinsky joined Spurs a year ago, in January 2025, from Slavia Prague. At the time he was brought in he was a highly regarded, if very young, keeper and the expectation was that he would “challenge” Guglielmo Vicario for the starting role in goal. It was all very exciting at the time. Real competition at keeper? A reliable backup that we can use to rotate situationally depending on competition and opponent? What an exciting problem to have! Why, all we have to do is train Kinsky Boots up a couple of seasons, sell Guglielmo for £50m, and have a ready made replacement!
The reality is a bit bleaker. While Kinsky made 11 appearances for Spurs last season, most of them while Vicario was hurt, he has only two starts this season, both in the FA Cup. There have been background reports that Kinsky has not developed in the way that the club expected him to, and this rumor might be the end result of that. I really don’t know what’s going on at the training ground, but it does seem as though Kinsky is not close to pushing Vicario for the starting position. Kinsky leaving would mean that Brandon Austin would jump up to be Vicario’s primary backup keeper, assuming Spurs don’t bring in another backup keeper in the final week of the January transfer window.
Keep in mind that Moretto has also previously reported that Vicario wants to return to Italy this summer, with Inter Milan apparently interested. If Vicario and Kinsky both leave, that’s a massive amount of turnover to have to absorb and acclimate in one summer. It certainly doesn’t fill me with a ton of confidence, that’s for sure.
There are PLENTY of reasons to be skeptical of this rumor, but if it is true we’re probably going to get some clarity on it sooner rather than later. Watch this space.
