Why Tottenham need to convince Hugo Lloris to sign a new deal
Back in 2012, Tottenham pulled off quite the coup to secure the services of Hugo Lloris from Lyon. There was plenty of toing and froing between Jean-Michel Aulas and Daniel Levy as the two tough negotiators sought to agree a deal that would see Lloris cross the channel, but on deadline day, Spurs agreed to pay a reported €10m for the shotstopper.
In the modern day market, that is a bargain. Since his arrival at the club, bar a brief period when he first arrived as he sought to oust Brad Friedel, Lloris has been number one in north London. Granted, he has endured the odd hairy moment for Spurs, but he remains one of the Premier League's finest shotstoppers and arguably one of the club's best goalkeepers' in their history.
Yet as we near the end of 2021, both Spurs and Lloris are at a crossroads. The latter's contract expires next summer and the former only opened talks about staying at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month with no conclusion at the time of writing. As of January 1st, Lloris is free to negotiate a move away from Spurs to an overseas side. While he turned 35 on Boxing Day, Spurs need to get a deal for the Frenchman sorted sooner rather than later.
There is a greater longevity of goalkeepers compared to outfielders, with those between the sticks generally enjoying longer careers than defenders, midfielders and attackers. For an outfield player, 35 would signal the twilight years of his career, though there are exceptions to the rule in the Premier League such as Thiago Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, of the 11 players aged 35 and over to feature in England's top tier this term, five are goalkeepers.
"Hugo is our captain, he is a player that played for Tottenham for many years and we are all happy to have him in our team, in the squad and in the dressing room," Antonio Conte said of Lloris ahead of the Boxing Day win over Crystal Palace. Clearly Conte is keen on keeping the skipper in north London and it is easy to see why. Lloris endured criticism during Jose Mourinho's stint at the club, yet the experienced shotstopper has looked back to his best this season.
A WhoScored rating of 6.83 is the third best of goalkeepers in the Premier League this season, while a 69.8% save success rate is the fifth best of those to have made 10 or more league apps in 2021/22. A clean sheet against Palace was his seventh of the season, that the fifth most in England's top tier, though it's worth noting that those have come from 16 appearances, a return that would have been higher had Spurs not seen three games postponed due to adverse weather and a COVID-19 outbreak at the club earlier this month.
However it's not just from a statistical viewpoint that makes Lloris so important for Spurs. He exudes confidence at the back that means the defence can play to the best of their ability, safe in the knowledge that a goalkeeper of the Frenchman's calibre continues to operate at a consistently high level.
A World Cup winner who commands respect of the dressing room, it's no surprise Conte is keen to retain his services beyond the summer. It's not just that Spurs would lose one of Europe's top goalkeepers either, but would raise the question of how to best replace Lloris. Backup Pierluigi Gollini isn't of the standard required by Spurs if they are to challenge for silverware, yet as proven with fees paid for the likes of Ederson, Alisson, Edouard Mendy and Aaron Ramsdale, the north London side will eventually have to spend big to sign a suitable successor.
Considering the problem areas in the squad that Conte and co. can rectify in the transfer market, they can save themselves a mad scramble to lure a suitable shotstopper as Lloris' replacement and give new personnel the chance to bed in before gearing up for a goalkeeper search by extending the France international's contract.
There is believed to be a willingness from all parties to get a deal done, which is of course a positive sign. Conte's appointment and subsequent praise of Lloris will have worked wonders in Spurs' bid to convince the goalkeeper to remain at the club, but now is all about striking a deal in what is likely to be the final big contract of the player's career.
Spurs have previously shown a reluctance to tie players the wrong side of 30 down to long-term deals and were, to an extent, burned by their decision to hand Toby Alderweireld and Moussa Sissoko new contracts than they have done others in their age bracket, but Lloris is showing no signs that his career is on the decline.
With the clock clicking towards the New Year, surely it's only a matter of time before Lloris and his representatives, and Spurs, sit down to thrash out a new deal. It's not just blind loyalty that means the goalkeeper deserves a contract extension, but he remains one of the best in the Premier League. Fans are understandably desperate to see him continue his career in north London.
