The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has waited patiently for his first taste of senior action at the club.
When Tottenham Hotspur signed Pau Lopez on loan from Espanyol last summer, it was a move that prompted plenty of raised eyebrows.
After all, Spurs were already well stocked in the goalkeeping department, with Hugo Lloris one of the best in the business and Michel Vorm a more than able deputy.
Lopez arrived regardless, but with the domestic season now over he failed to make a single first-team appearance, having to settle for a few stints on the bench and seven matches for Tottenham’s under-23s.
Still, there is a chance for Lopez to start alongside his senior teammates before his loan move comes to an end, with Spurs playing a specially arranged friendly in Hong Kong against Kitchee SC later this month.
It is a strangely timed fixture but it at least allows Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino to cast his eye over some of his fringe players, along with those teenage prospects hoping to make a breakthrough next season.
Lopez’s permanent move to Tottenham still seems complicated, with Spanish newspaper Sport claiming last week that while the player desperately wants to sign for the North London side, his price tag remains an issue.
Tottenham are said to have made an offer of £1.7million with the option of a significant sell-on clause while Espanyol are reportedly holding out for more.
Only time will tell how this one plays out, but the upcoming match does at least give Lopez a realistic chance of finally making a first-team start for the club; albeit in a friendly fixture.
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