Since buying Hugo Lloris from Lyon in 2012, it’s undeniable that he has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, making 346 Appearances for Tottenham.
He has many positive attributes such as being an exceptional leader, very loyal and an experienced player within the ranks, especially since 2015 when he became the club captain.
No Tottenham goalkeeper from the past Premier League years comes close to the level that Lloris has been at while playing for Spurs. Therefore, we need to get the most out of him while he is still an amazing keeper.
It would be a huge risk to sell the French international and then sign a younger shot-stopper in the hopes that he can instantly match Lloris’ skill – with the added longevity.
Some people would argue that he is not at the level a Tottenham goalkeeper should be at anymore, but I certainly disagree.
This season alone, at the age of 34, he has managed to get the fourth most clean sheets in the league while having two inconsistent, mistake-prone centre backs in front of him for an abundance of the games (Transfermarkt).
On top of that, so far this season Lloris has a save percentage of 76.6%. Out of all the other keepers in the Premier League, the only ones that start regularly for their team and have a better save percentage are Emiliano Martínez and Nick Pope (FBREF).
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Furthermore, just last season Lloris impressively had the second-best save percentage in the entire Premier League (FBREF).
International success:
Additional proof that the Frenchman is a great leader is that he won the World Cup with his country in 2018 as captain.
Lloris is currently tied second on caps for France with Henry, who he is sure to overtake in the near future as he is still the starting goalkeeper (Wikipedia). This is an amazing feat, especially doing it with a country that has so much talent.
Negatives of keeping Lloris:
The worrying thing about keeping Lloris for another season is that his contract expires in 14 months. This means that if Tottenham do not extend his contract then he will almost certainly be leaving Spurs on a free transfer in 2022.
The only attribute that I believe Lloris needs to improve is his kicking. There have been several incidents, in recent times especially, where his kicking has put Spurs in danger and been the main issue leading to a goal.
Replacements:
The goalkeepers Tottenham have been primarily linked to are: Mike Maignan, Nick Pope, Sam Johnstone and Koen Casteels.
Johnstone has had an astounding first season in the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion, impressing enough to be called up to represent England for the Euro Qualifiers. He looks to be the cheapest option, being available at just £10m (ESPN).
Although all four have proved themselves to be adequate replacements, Pope looks to be the safest and best choice. He is England’s new number one and has been performing consistently with Burnley since 2019. Being 28, Pope could be Spurs’ shot-stopper for many years into the future.
Overview:
However, with all this being said, Lloris is still near the top of his game so we should keep him for next season and assess how all of Tottenham’s targets play. If they keep up admirable performances throughout the season then they should be signed.
The best option for Tottenham this summer would be to sign new centre-halves, as they are usually at fault for the goals conceded, not Lloris.
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