According to TeamTalk, this season is set to be Hugo Lloris’ last, as Spurs number one – with the Tottenham hierarchy identifying three targets to replace the World Cup winner, next season.
The Frenchman – who is set to turn 36 later this month – has spent ten successful years at the club, after joining from Lyon for a bargain fee of £12 million. But as Lloris has aged his abilities have seemed to dwindle, with a number of high-profile mistakes catching the headlines.
This decline is shown by the stats (FB Ref), with Hugo’s save percentage falling year upon year since the 2019-20 season – falling from 80.8% in 2020 to 72.1% this season.
So, who should replace Lloris next season?
TeamTalk have stated that Spurs have shortlisted Jordan Pickford, Robert Sanchez and Illan Meslier as potential replacements.
We have crunched the data to see which of the shot-stoppers, the club should move for.
In terms of save percentage so far this season, Pickford (82.6%) blows the other two out of the water – Meslier 66.1% and Sanchez 71.5%. The Everton man has been one of the league’s best keepers this season – without his saves, Everton would surely be in the relegation zone.
Lloris, who is relatively small for a goalkeeper (6ft 1), has often been criticised for his ability when coming to collect crosses.
Which goalkeeper should replace Hugo Lloris?
Robert Sanchez
Illan Meslier
Jordan Pickford
Other
Brighton’s Robert Sanchez (6ft 6) excels in this metric, with the Spaniard stopping crosses 8% of the time – which puts him in the top 10% of goalkeepers (across Europe’s top five leagues). Also ranking ahead of both Meslier (5.7%) and Pickford (2.6%)
In terms of age-profile Meslier (22) is the youngest of the three keepers, so any move for the Leeds man would be a long-term investment by the club.
Also, when it comes down to who would be the best value for money. Jordan Pickford is likely to be the cheapest of the keepers with his deal expiring at the end of next season, so Spurs may be able to bag the England number 1 for a cut-price fee.
It will be a sad day for Spurs fans when Lloris eventually leaves North London, however, it does seem time for change between the sticks – maybe one of these three keepers could be the answer.