Although the emergence of Harry Kane has been one of the few plus points of Tottenham’s season, the performances of Hugo Lloris deserve just as much applause and recognition.
The France international goalkeeper has proven himself consistently as one of the best in his position in the Premier League with breathtaking saves and a real command of the Spurs backline.
However, with the North London club’s season petering out and Champions League football likely to elude Tottenham once more, it feels a lot like Groundhog Day.
The Guardian today claims that the top-class custodian will actively seek a transfer this summer.
The White Hart Lane club have been here before; the almighty struggle to finish in the top four, only to be pipped at the last minute and lose the team’s best player(s) as a result.
Although keeping the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale when Real Madrid came knocking was an unenviable task, missing out on Europe’s elite competition for consecutive years sealed the stars’ exits.
Over the years the likes of Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov have also been prized away from Spurs, with the main reason being the London club’s lack of consistent Champions League football.
This summer, instead of working to build a squad capable of progression, avoiding an exodus of the team’s best players already threatens to become the priority.
Although Kane’s personal connection to his boyhood club should keep him at White Hart Lane, the Spurs faithful will have grave concerns over the futures of Christian Eriksen and Lloris.
The report stipulates that the former Lyon goalkeeper is frustrated at not being able to play in Europe’s top tournament, especially when he represented the Ligue 1 outfit in the competition for years before moving to England.
As his country’s national captain, most of his Les Bleus’ team-mates are Champions League regulars, while it is clear to see that Lloris should be playing at the highest level of club football.
However, Spurs need to show solidarity, resilience and fortitude in this summer’s market to keep Lloris if they have any chance of breaking the top-four hegemony.
Selling your best player every off-season, even if you get an extortionate amount of money in return, is not a strategy befitting a Champions League club.
As Liverpool proved last season with the wantaway Luis Suarez, refusing to be drawn into conversations of a possible departure kept the Uruguayan at Anfield, perhaps against his will to some degree – but it almost won Brendan Rodgers’ men the league.
There are still reasons for optimism for Spurs in their chances of holding onto Lloris.
The Frenchman by nature is an introverted character and not someone who is not going to make a massive public fracas like other players have done in the past.
The world-class custodian signed a five-year contract last summer and his past track record of staying at Lyon longer than he necessarily needed to gives Spurs hope.
The Guardian state that Lloris has warmed to manager Mauricio Pochettino while at the age of 27 still has time on his side to play in the Champions League in the future.
There is no doubting that if teams such as Manchester United or Paris Saint-Germain come in for Lloris, Tottenham will have a tough job on their hands to keep hold of their prize asset.
But, if the ongoing trend of being the top-four nearly-men is to be bucked, Spurs must stand steadfast this summer and make it clear that Lloris’ immediate future is at White Hart Lane.
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