In the 1996 summer Vega moved to Italy with Cagliari Calcio, in the Serie A. However, after only seven months, he signed with England's Tottenham Hotspur, for a transfer fee of £3.75 million. He was used mostly as a backup with his new side, helping it win the Football League Cup in 1999; in the final, a 1–0 win over Leicester City, he broke his ankle, and could never regain his previous form with Spurs.