After Hugo Lloris’ recent troubles in between the sticks for Tottenham Hotspur, Spurs have understandably turned their attentions towards a long-term successor for the 36-year-old Frenchman.
One such contender is Brentford’s Spanish international David Raya, who sees his contract with the Bees expire in 18 months time. This has put several clubs on alert, and it has been reported today that Spurs have been joined by Manchester United and Chelsea in their pursuit of Raya.
Indeed, United are themselves after a long-term successor for David de Gea, who sees his contract expire in the summer, and Chelsea’s heckle and keckle double-act of Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga failing to impress on a consistent basis, meaning that both of their respective interests in Raya makes a degree of sense.
However, Spurs’ need for a Lloris seems ever-greater, given how the once-reliable Frenchman and club captain is now throwing them in for fun – out of the league-high 6 goals Spurs have conceded from individual errors this season, Lloris has been responsible for 4 of those.
What will be pleasing news, therefore, for fans of the club as well as its hierarchy, is the reports from Raya’s homeland that the 27-year-old has rejected Brentford’s latest offer of a contract extension, which was as recent as last week (via Relevo, in Spanish).
This is a monumental blow for the Bees, but one that Relevo attributes to the player’s ambitions. According to the report, Raya wants Champions League football, something that he does not see as achievable with the West Londoners, despite their favourable league position, and also to stamp his authority in the Spanish international team going forward.
Raya therefore sees going to a ‘bigger’ club, according to Relevo, as the natural progression for him to achieve those goals, hence his unwillingness to sign on with Brentford.
However, it is highly unlikely that the Bees will cash in on the former Blackburn Rovers shot-stopper halfway through the season – they are more likely to entertain offers in the summer, which suits Spurs anyway, as a keeper is not the most urgent of priorities at the moment, in spite of Lloris’ recent struggles.
We’ll see how this develops, but in the meantime, you can have your say on Spurs’ transfer activity on the Vital Spurs fan forum here.