Who is Mike Maignan? The goalkeeper Tottenham are targeting to replace Lloris
Tottenham are fast approaching a key crossroads in their modern history. At present, captain Hugo Lloris has just a little over a year left to run on his current deal at the club and there are presently no indications that Spurs will look to extend his contract. As such, the north London side now need to decide whether to cash in on the France number this summer or lose him on a free next year.
For all his criticisms, Lloris has been a sturdy performer as the last line of defence at Spurs following his 2012 arrival from Lyon. Having initially struggled to oust Brad Friedel as number one, the 34-year-old has since been a mainstay for the club when fit. Since the start of the 2012/13 Premier League season, only David De Gea (109) has kept more clean sheets than Lloris (102), though it's also worth noting that the pair rank first (308) and second (209), respectively, for appearances by goalkeepers in that time.
Nevertheless, Spurs' defence was never really considered solid until Lloris consolidated that first team spot and despite the lack of protection he is afforded at times, the France captain is a commendable shotstopper, capable of pulling off the impossible saves, which will make his exit a heart wrenching one when it does come to pass.
However, in the world of football, sentiments must be pushed to one side in order for a team to progress and as Spurs consider their goalkeeping options, another raid of France is a possibility. Mike Maignan has emerged as a potential target for the north London side. Like Lloris, Maignan has just 12 months left to run on his current Lille deal, and he has shown no desire to extend his stay with the Ligue 1 title contenders.
As such, Les Dogues are considering their options and it's been reported that Lille will consider offers as low as €25m for their number one rather than lose him on a free next year. Spurs, then, should jump at the chance to bring Maignan to England. Chelsea had considered a move for the Lille man last year, but eventually signed Edouard Mendy as the Blues were priced out of a move for the France international.
Maignan is a major reason Lille are now level on points with PSG at the top of the Ligue 1 table. No goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets than the 25-year-old (16) in Europe's top five leagues this season, while only Keylor Navas (78.3%) has a better save success rate than Maignan (77.1%) in Ligue 1 in 2020/21. It is worth noting, though, that Lille face the fewest shots per game (8.5) in France's top tier this term, so Maignan isn't as regularly tested as his fellow goalkeepers, but in turn; you could argue his concentration levels are up to scratch, which means he is ready to deny opponents as and when necessary.
AC Milan are also believed to be monitoring Maignan amid uncertainty regarding Gianluigi Donnarumma's future, though their preference would of course be to keep the Italian starlet. Anyway, if Spurs do firm up their rumoured interest in Maignan, they can call upon coaching staff Joao Sacramento and Nuno Santos to convince the goalkeeper to swap Lille for London having worked with the player during their respective times together with Les Dogues.
Any major doubts over his distribution by comparison to Lloris can also be put to rest. Maignan (65.6%) has a marginally lower pass success rate compared to the Spurs man (69%) from slightly fewer passes per game (23.2 to 23.7). However, the long ball accuracy is an attribute that can be worked on, with Maignan returning a long ball pass success rate of 37.6% to Lloris' 43.1%, though experience is potentially a key reason the latter performs better than the former in that regard.
Even for Maignan's inexperience, however, he has the mental toughness of a seasoned pro. Since becoming Lille's number one from the start of the 2017/18 season, he has committed five errors leading to an opposition goal, one of the higher returns in the league. Yet while on paper, that is a poor return, it's been almost two years since his last gaffe, that coming against Lyon in May 2019.
Over the last four league seasons, Lloris has committed nine errors leading to an opposition goal, the most recent of which came in Spurs' 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace in December. At such a young age, Maignan is already considered one of the more accomplished goalkeepers in Europe, and there is plenty more to come from the young shotstopper. Viewed by many as Lloris' successor on the international stage, the same could ring true at club level if reports are to be believed.
It remains to be seen how much Spurs would recoup if Lloris is sold this summer, yet it would be a figure enough to cover some of the cost to land Maignan, who could go on to become a regular feature in this Spurs XI for the next 10 or so years, as Lloris has done on the back of his 2012 arrival.
