Tottenham Hotspur and Premier League veteran Hugo Lloris has turned down a move to Lazio with the Serie A outfit now agreeing a deal with one of their alternative goalkeeping targets instead.
How Maurizio Sarri feels about Lazio missing out on a highly-experienced, World Cup winning glovesman remains to be seen. There may be an element of relief, perhaps.
Sarri, according to reports, always had reservations about bringing Tottenham Hotspur’s Hugo Lloris to the Italian capital. His wages would have seen Lloris earn more per week than Lazio’s first-choice goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, after all, with Sarri allegedly fearing an unhealthy rivalry between the two shot-stoppers.
Luigi Sepe, at least, arrives at the Stadio Olimpico with lower demands and possibly without such steadfast expectations of regular first-team football.
Hugo Lloris could now stay at Tottenham Hotspur
Calciomercato report that Sepe will join on loan from Parma. Lazio stepped up their pursuit of the 32-year-old after talks with Lloris collapsed. Fabrizio Romano has since backed up those claims.
“Lazio won’t sign Hugo Lloris,” Romano writes on Twitter. “It was never close to happening as the French goalkeeper didn’t want to be the backup option. Lazio are now closing in on Luigi Sepe from Salernitana.”
What the future holds for Lloris, however, only time will tell. Tottenham’s long-serving number one has already lost his place to £17 million summer recruit Guglielmo Vicario. Ange Postecoglou may still have a place in his plans for a man boasting vast experience at the top level of the European game, though the former Celtic boss tends to demand far greater levels of technical ability from his goalkeepers.
Vicario, while delivering his fair share of heart-stopping moments already at Spurs, is clearly far more comfortable in possession than a man who finds himself in a situation reminiscent of David de Gea at Manchester United; a well-respected figure (some would say a ‘legend’) feeling increasingly like a relic from a bygone era of goalkeeping.
Lloris was left out of Spurs’ squad against both Brentford and Manchester United. The former France captain has opened the door to a potential return across the Channel, but a move to Nice is dependant on fellow veteran Kasper Schmeichel making way first.
“I am very attached to the city of Nice, as you know,” Lloris told BFM Nice Cote d’Azur earlier in the window.
“I can’t speak about concrete things. The club has to finish the season first. There are two goalkeepers of high quality (at Nice), including one that I’m good friends with in Kasper Schmeichel.
“You can understand that it’s difficult to speak about these kinds of subjects. I’ll let fate handle things.”
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