Tottenham are set to follow in the footsteps of London rivals Chelsea and poach a goalkeeper from Atletic Bilbao to be their new no.1, according to reports in Spain.
Chelsea made Kepa Arrizabalaga the most expensive goalkeeper in history, briefly, when they shelled out 71 million pounds to bring him to Stamford Bridge, and it is a tenure that has seen him improve but still not enough to become their no.1, with Edouard Mendy recruited 2 seasons later.
And now, Marca report that Tottenham are looking to replace their ageing shot-stopper Hugo Lloris with Unai Simon, who currently stands in between the posts for the Basque outfit.
Unai Simon of Spain warms up prior to the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar qualifying match between Spain and Kosovo on March 31, 2021 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Lloris was at fault for Manchester City’s first goal last weekend, albeit his error was patched over by a brilliant team win. This season, the addition of Pierluigi Gollini on loan from Atalanta has done little but underscore Lloris’s stranglehold on the no.1 shirt. But, now 35 years old, he is coming to the end of his time at the top and Tottenham need to plan for a replacement.
Asked about the importance of Lloris to Tottenham, Conte seemed to suggest that the Frenchman had his complete faith, saying:
‘There’s a sporting director in Italy, Corvino. He says you can make mistake about your wife but not about the striker or the goalkeeper. This is the best quote to understand football’.
No release clause for Unai Simon
The 71 million pound price tag for Kepa was in the form of a release clause, which are very common in Spain. However, Unai Simon has no such clause, meaning that Bilbao could simply reject all offers if they saw fit.
24 years old and under contract until 2025, it would seem as though Tottenham would have to stump up a significant sum of money to lure him away, should he even want to go.
‘As long as Athletic wants me to be here, I’m going to stay’, Simon told Spanish media last time he was linked with a move away.
‘I owe the life I have to Athletic and I want to thank them in the best possible way and that is defending the goal of San Mamés every game ‘
This attitude may force Spurs to look elsewhere for their Lloris replacement.
