Hugo Lloris has explained it took a while for him to sign a new contract with Tottenham because he had not received an offer of fresh terms last summer.
Lloris, now in his 10th season at Spurs, had been set to become a free agent at the end of the season with his contract approaching its conclusion.
But the 35-year-old agreed to extend his stay north London in January when he signed a new two-year deal taking him up to June 2024 (Tottenham).
However, his renewal may have come much later than some Spurs fans would have liked, especially when faced with a potential future without the veteran Frenchman.
And when asked why a deal took so long to be struck, Lloris told the print edition of L’Equipe (24/03/22 as relayed by SportWitness): “The discussions began in January and ended very quickly.”
He was then pressed on why talks did not take place during last summer, to which he explained that nothing was put on the table in front of him at the time.
Lloris added: “I had been pretty clear and honest on the subject by saying that I had received nothing. So I cannot answer this question. I can have a reflection only when I have things in hand, and that was not the case last summer.
“This was the case in January and it happened quickly. Before, it was a somewhat complicated season, which we started with one coach and continued with another.
“I also made a choice of loyalty vis-à-vis a club, the supporters, because I want to continue the adventure and I feel ready, above all, to continue it.”
Lloris’ career at Spurs has seen him amass over 400 appearances including well over 300 in the Premier League, making him the club’s sole leader in the top-flight (Transfermarkt).
Spurs Web Opinion
Lloris suffered a strange blip when he signed his new contract, but he has still shown why Tottenham wanted to tie him down for another couple of years.
It would have been another problem to solve in the summer had he left on a free transfer too, so that has saved the club some time in terms of finding a replacement immediately.