Tottenham goalkeeper Pau Lopez won’t be leaving the club in January, according to reports in Spain.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Pau Lopez is wanted by a number of La Liga clubs – but manager Mauricio Pochettino is keeping him at White Hart Lane.
Despite having one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League in Hugo Lloris and an excellent understudy in Michel Vorm, Pochettino targeted a move for a new goalkeeper over the summer.
Pau Lopez
With Luke McGee sent out on loan to Peterborough, Pochettino wanted to bring a young goalkeeper in on loan to develop behind Lloris and Vorm – and after a protracted transfer saga, Tottenham finally landed Pau Lopez on loan from Espanyol on deadline day in August.
Lopez, 21, came up through the ranks at Espanyol whilst Spurs boss Pochettino was in charge of the club, and they reunited at White Hart Lane in something of a surprise decision from the young goalkeeper.
Tottenham’s Pau Lopez and Son Heung-min during training
The Spaniard played 36 first team games for Espanyol last season, but has yet to even make an appearance for Spurs, which appears to have prompted interest in his signature.
Spanish newspaper Sport report that a number of La Liga clubs have made offers to sign Lopez by taking over Tottenham’s loan deal until the end of the season – but he won’t be leaving White Hart Lane.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
It’s claimed that Pochettino is a big fan of Lopez and wants to develop him long-term, and given that Tottenham’s loan includes a permanent option at €7m (£6m), any termination of his loan would extinguish that buyout clause.
Lopez will subsequently have to be patient and wait for his chance, but Pochettino appears to have a plan for the Spaniard, which includes signing him permanently in 2017 rather than paying a £425,000 penalty fee for not signing him on top of the £510,000 loan fee.
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