Louis Saha thinks the Tottenham Hotspur board are looking to replace Hugo Lloris as he stated that it ‘makes sense’ for Everton’s Jordan Pickford to be his replacement.
The former Premier League striker added that it’s ‘difficult’ for Antonio Conte to put Lloris on the bench given his recent form because he is the captain, as he told The Games Cabin.
Post-World Cup, Lloris’ form has hit a serious brick wall, as his errors in the middle of the sticks have proven to be very costly.
At 36 and with his current contract, which runs out in 2024, it only asks the obvious of whether it’s time to part ways with the 2018 World Cup winner now, or at least in the summer.
A name that has popped up to possibly replace the recently-retired France international is that of England’s very own Jordan Pickford.
Louis Saha thinks that’s something that could happen involving the 50-cap international down the line.
“Hugo isn’t 25, so of course his time at Tottenham will come to an end,” said Saha. “It’s always hard for a goalkeeper because they get punished straight away and Hugo’s made some high-profile mistakes.
“However, Hugo’s proved by being at Tottenham for such a long time that he is capable of bouncing back and providing great performances again. Finding a new goalkeeper is the case for every club because you always need to think of bringing in players who can challenge your key players, regardless of whether they’re the captain or not.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the board are looking for an alternative but there’s not many out there of Hugo’s quality.
“I read that Jordan Pickford is a potential target and that would make sense, but it depends on how quickly the club is prepared to put Hugo on the bench because he’s the captain of the club. It’s a difficult one.”
EVEN LLORIS KNOWS…
It was interesting that Spurs didn’t address the Lloris issue during the January transfer window, perhaps it’s hard to find that long-term keeper during the middle of the season.
Going by his contract, the £12 million signing (BBC Sport) could still yet be Tottenham’s number one next season.
But, as Lloris proved against Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester City recently, someone needs to come in this summer because if that area isn’t addressed, then it could prove to be costly.