Real Betis goalkeeper Pau Lopez failed to make a single Premier League appearance for Tottenham Hotspur.
Pau Lopez’s one and only season at Tottenham Hotspur is best left forgotten.
The Spain U21 shot-stopper arrived in North London on loan from Espanyol in the hope of forcing his way into Mauricio Pochettino’s side, earning a permanent contract and – eventually – replacing Hugo Lloris as Spurs’ number one.
Instead, Lopez failed to make a single first-team appearance and, after a season in which he only played reserve football, returned to Spain wondering what went wrong. This simply looked like the wrong move at the wrong time for a talented young goalkeeper.
But maybe the error was all Tottenham’s.
Two years on, Lopez is going from strength to strength. He is now Real Betis’ number one, a regular in the Spain national team and, perhaps most tellingly, lined up for a big-money move to one of Europe’s most historic clubs.
Sport reported recently that none other than Barcelona are eyeing up a potential £30 million move with the La Liga champions looking for a back-up goalkeeper to replace Jasper Cillessen.
Roma have since made a £16 million bid, as reported by Gianluca di Marzio. When you consider that the Giallorossi seemingly see the 24-year-old as Alisson Becker’s long-term replacement, it is clear how highly they rate Lopez.
All the while, Tottenham’s goalkeeping situation is looking less and less clear with Lloris enduring a difficult 12 months on and off the pitch.
If only they’d taken the chance to sign Lopez. He’d be gearing up to take the number one shirt at this point.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
