Journalist asks Hugo Lloris whether Spurs should have kept duo who were sold

Hugo Lloris sidestepped a question on whether Tottenham Hotspur were right to let Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld leave when they did, ahead of France’s Nations League clash against Belgium yesterday.

Vertonghen arrived at Tottenham from Ajax in the summer of 2012, the same time as Lloris joined the club from Lyon.

Alderweireld joined from Atletico Madrid three years later and the Belgium pair went on to form a formidable partnership over the next few years.

Both players, along with Lloris, were vital parts of the club’s rise under Mauricio Pochettino, with the Lilywhites challenging for the title on two occasions and falling just one step short of winning the Champions League in 2019.

That team is now all but broken up, with Vertonghen leaving in the summer of 2020 and his Belgium teammate following him out the door this summer.

The North London club are now at the start of a new era under managing director of football, Fabio Paratici and head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo.

Lloris’ captained France to a 3-2 win over Vertonghen and Alderweireld’s Belgium side in the Nations League semi-final yesterday but the goalkeeper was all praise for the duo before the match.

The 34-year-old told Sky Sports: “They’re not old players. They are experienced players.

“They are a part of this team and have been part of this team for a long time.

“They are great leaders, I played with them at Tottenham and I have, no doubt, that for such a game that they will play at their best level.”

When asked if Spurs should have hung on to them, he responded: “Well, it’s not a question for me. I am not the person in charge.

“But I had great years with them and it will be a pleasure to see them and meet them tomorrow before the game.”

Spurs Web Opinion

As good as Vertonghen and Alderweireld were, both individually and as a partnership, I believe Spurs let both players go at the right time as they were clearly on the wane. If anything, one can make the case that Toby could have been let go six months to a year before he eventually was.

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