Tottenham Hotspur already have a talented young goalkeeper so why spend £6million on another?
When Tottenham Hotspur signed Pau Lopez on loan from Espanyol last summer more than a few eyebrows were raised given the presence of Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm, and fast-forward six months and the move makes less sense than ever.
Lopez is yet to feature for Tottenham’s first-team and he has only made the bench on four occasions; once in the league and three times in the FA Cup.
A recent report from Spanish newspaper Sport claimed Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had decided to activate the £6million buyout clause in the 22-year-old’s loan deal, but has the recent performance of youngster Brandon Austin made that decision even more baffling?
After all, Lloris is going nowhere and Vorm has shown he is happy to bide his time and wait for chances in the cup competitions.
Assuming the Dutchman stays at White Hart Lane until the end of his contract, that will give 18-year-old Austin another year to develop his own game for the under-23s and push to be back-up ahead of Lopez.
Austin was superb in Tottenham’s FA Youth Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea earlier this week, putting in a string of outstanding saves to keep his side in the tie.
He may be far less experienced than Lopez, but why pay £6million for a backup – or perhaps even a third choice if Vorm remains – when Austin could be the real deal in his own right with a little patience?
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