Former Tottenham Hotspur striker believes Hugo Lloris is on borrowed time under Jose Mourinho, telling talkSPORT (23 February, 9:00am) that the goalkeeper is ‘on the way out’.
It has been a strange couple of weeks for the World Cup-winning shot-stopper.
Lloris conceded five times in the FA Cup defeat to Everton a fortnight ago, days before another error-strewn performance in a 3-0 humbling at the hands of Manchester City.
But, last Thursday’s Europa League clash with Wolfsberger in Austria, the 34-year-old glovesman offered a timely reminder of his quality, producing a stunning reaction save to tip a goal-bound header onto the crossbar.
The problem is, such moments of brilliance are starting to become the exception rather than the norm.
And, with Lloris due to turn 35 before the year is out, is it time for Tottenham to prepare for life without one of their longest-serving players?
“I think he’s on the way out,” said ex-Spurs striker Darren Bent.
Speculation certainly suggests that the Lloris era is coming to an end, with reports claiming that Sam Johnstone, Dean Henderson and Fenerbahce youngster Altay Bayindir are all on Tottenham’s radar.
But while a new goalkeeper may be required, Bent feels that defensive additions are nothing short of a necessity.
Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Toby Alderweireld and Joe Rodon have all committed vital individual errors during a run of five defeats in six Premier League games after all.
“They need to add defenders because, defensively, they’re not good enough. They’re not finding the right (centre-back) pairing.
“Sanchez has made mistake after mistake. I like Dier but he lacks pace.”
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