Hugo Lloris of Tottenham during the Premier League match at Molineux, Wolverhampton. Andrew Yates/Sportimage
According to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic (Subscription Required), Hugo Lloris might commit his future to Tottenham Hotspur by signing a new contract. The goalkeeper has yet again been a crucial part of the club this season but could move out in the summer once his contract expires.
The Frenchman developed in the Nice academy before featuring for their B side and eventually their first team. After spending three years in the senior setup, he joined Olympique Lyonnais and became an instant success at the Ligue 1 club. In 2012, he signed for Tottenham Hotspur and has since been brilliant under every manager.
Could the shot-stopper stay beyond this season? And is this the right decision by Antonio Conte?
Since signing for Spurs nearly a decade ago, the French international has made 388 appearances and is bound to hit the 400 mark soon. He is already their record holder for most games in the Premier League, indicating his importance to the side. Although things have not been good this season, he has dug the club out of a hole by producing world-class saves.
The shot-stopper is hugely important in the current scenario. Antonio Conte is building a force to reckon with, but it is still in the developmental stage. The Italian manager could do with a few new faces in the team and would need to drill the instructions into the current squad so he can execute his plan to perfection at N17.
The current squad is also fairly young. Lloris is the only player above the age of 29 and by far the only real leader at the back. Eric Dier has been at the club for a while, but the former Lyon man guides the backline and is a huge voice in the dressing room too. Conte needs leaders on his side and barring the captain and Harry Kane, there are few of those in the ranks.
Moreover, there is no long-term replacement lined up for him. Pierluigi Gollini may be good but is only at Spurs on a loan deal. Hence, unless Daniel Levy is thinking of bringing in a top-notch goalkeeper in the coming transfer windows, offloading Lloris will be an unwise decision.
The 2018 World Cup winner remains a desirable property. The 34-year-old is in the final year of his contract and will be eligible to talk to foreign clubs in January. He apparently even considered a move to AS Roma to reunite with Jose Mourinho, but that move failed to materialize.
Thus, Spurs need to get him to put pen to paper on a new deal by the end of 2021. After the end of this year, foreign clubs could directly approach the player’s representatives. Talks have been going on, and there is some confidence that an extension can be agreed upon.
However, until the T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted, the London club remains in a vulnerable situation. A lot can happen over a transfer window, and it would bode them well to make an announcement soon. The Frenchman has previously stated that he would want to play for Nice before he retires, but there is still a long way to go for that.
Antonio Conte needs to churn out some more years out of his veteran before he decides to leave the club for good. A replacement needs to be in place before we can think of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner departing N17 anytime soon.
