It looks like Manchester United’s number one, David de Gea, is on the way out of the Old Trafford doors.
Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal has already started looking for his next goalkeeping star, and it seems he had his sights firmly set on Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris.
However it seems things might not be as easy as they first thought. Spurs are believed to be planning to stick a £35million price tag on the keeper to ward potential buyers off him as they are determined not to sell the Frenchman to a fellow Premier League club.
Reports suggest French side Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in Tottenham’s No 1. If Lloris was sold for that sum of money he would become the goalkeeper with the second highest transfer fee in the world. The current world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper is £36.2 million which is what Juventus paid Parma for Gianluigi Buffon back in 2001. But what has Lloris achieved to warrant such a fee?
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Tottenham have been confident of keeping their captain all season, even if they miss out on the Champions League place. Spurs are currently sixth, three points behind Liverpool in the Europa League spot and seven points behind Manchester United in fifth.
Lloris signed a new five-year contract last summer, but many believe that he might consider a future at a rival club if Tottenham fail to get into Europe. The London club finished fifth in his debut campaign and sixth last season, and it looks unlikely that they are going to get into the Champions League this term, either.
With it looking more unlikely that they will finish where they had hoped, Spurs have wacked this huge price tag on him to warn other possible suitors off. It is believed the Frenchman is happy in London as his wife and family have settled there but with him building up a reputation as one of the best keepers in Europe, he might be tempted to move.
Spurs also have ex-Swansea player Michel Vorm, who arrived at White Heart Lane last summer. He was seen as a long-term replacement for Lloris but it now appears he is in it for the long haul. The 28-year-old is the captain of the French national team and a three time winner of Ligue 1’s Goalkeeper of the Year award. He is described as a goalkeeper who boasts lightening reflexes and good decision making and is a formidable opponent in one-on-one situations, so all these make him out to be an excellent keeper. But like any other first choice goalkeeper, he does have his weaknesses.
Lloris is already a big hit with the Spurs fans and his loyalty and determination to bring success to the club has made him more popular. He isn’t completely perfect, though. One of Lloris’ weaknesses is his long passes. The Frenchman only has a short range when it comes to kicking the ball up field, something which has greatly affected Tottenham in the Premier League. In his 38 appearances in all competitions he only has a pass success rate of 63.5%, which is quite low for a goalkeeper.
The goalie also likes to come off his line a bit too much. In their recent game against Manchester City, Lloris came charging out of his goal and slipped, which led to Sergio Aguero almost scoring for the visitors. He has only managed to keep 12 clean sheets in all competitions, compared to Chelsea who have kept 15 in the League alone.
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Lloris probably doesn’t have everything to make him worth £35million to another club, but to Tottenham he is worth his weight in gold.
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