Tottenham Hotspur are on the lookout for a new goalkeeper, as a replacement for the ageing Hugo Lloris. Reports claim that Spurs have shortlisted three Englishmen as Lloris’ potential successor, with one of them playing for rivals Manchester United!
The Sun claims that Tottenham is eyeing a move for Manchester United custodian Dean Henderson as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris. The 34-year-old goalkeeper is nearing a decade at the club since signing from Olympique Lyon back in 2012.
Henderson has recently broken into the United first-team due to the continued absence of stalwart David De Gea. The Spaniard missed the Red Devils’ recent games for personal reasons, but he remains very much in the plans of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, the report claims that De Gea could return to Spain in the summer as United try to reduce his wage bill. Henderson, meanwhile, will likely stay at the club and replace him as the first-choice goalkeeper. Furthermore, Spurs fear that even if Solskjaer sanctions the Englishman’s exit this summer, United will not sell him to them due to the ‘Big Six’ rivalry.
They have also identified Burnley’s Nick Pope and West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Johnstone as potential targets. Both the goalkeepers are enjoying fine campaigns despite their teams struggling in the bottom half of the table. The pair were awarded for their performances by the England head coach Gareth Southgate, who named them in his most recent squad alongside Henderson.
Meanwhile, Lloris remains an important part of the club at the moment and is also the captain of the senior team. The Frenchman, however, was critical of his teammates following a humiliating UEFA Europa League exit, which saw them concede three second-leg goals to Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatian outfit came back from two goals down in the first-leg and overturned the tie in their favour, courtesy of a hattrick by attacker Mislav Orsic.
I think we are all more than disappointed, it is just a disgrace. I just hope everyone in the changing room feels responsible for this situation because it is a disgrace… the taste of the defeat is more than painful and we are all responsible for that,
Lloris said after the match.
The way we play is just not enough. To behave as a team is the most difficult thing in football. Whatever the decision of the manager, you have to follow the way of the team. We had a great moment in the past because we could trust the togetherness that was in the team. Today, I’m not sure about that.
Thanks in part to a Premier League win over European hopefuls Aston Villa, Jose Mourinho’s men have since recovered. However, the Portuguese coach was not in an enjoyable mood and lamented his team’s mid-week reverse against Zagreb.
I’m very happy with the result, I’m very happy with the performance, I’m very happy with the attitude. I’m not happy with the feeling that if you did it tonight, why you didn’t do it 48 hours ago? That match on Thursday will be a scar for a long time,
he said in an interview with Sky Sports.
It’s not going to heal just because we won, but total credit to the players. They were a team. They fought together. They put in the game that honesty, that dignity that football players should put in every match.
Tottenham return to action after the international break with games against Newcastle United and Manchester United. Spurs are also due to face Manchester City in the EFL Cup Final on April 25. Tottenham are now placed sixth in the Premier League table with 48 points.
