Hugo Lloris provides considerable insight into why he snubbed a move to OGC Nice shortly before the transfer window shut.
Hugo Lloris became the subject of speculation at the very end of the transfer window. The Tottenham fan favourite is no longer an automatic starter after playing as their No.1 for over a decade. The change in the position had been coming for a long time, and Spurs have acted well in the window to bring a new keeper.
Guglielmo Vicario arrived from Empoli and instantly became a hit between the posts. His rise under Ange Postecoglou was also aided by Tottenham’s overall performance, with the north Londoners occupying the second spot behind Manchester City heading into the international break.
Vicario holds the No.1 spot as things stand, and Fraser Forster is his deputy. Lloris will have to make do with the third spot in the pecking order, and the club are already considering a contract termination after the Frenchman failed to move out.
Late in the window, Newcastle United expressed an interest in him. Lloris did not fancy a move up north to play second fiddle in Eddie Howe’s side, although there were already two other prominent keepers besides Nick Pope.
Then, in the last period of the window, OGC Nice reportedly made an offer to sign Lloris. The Frenchman was a part of the club early in his career and had a connection with the city, having previously expressed his desire to move there.
Moreover, Nice terminated Kasper Schmeichel’s deal, which effectively opened the doors for Lloris to come in. However, the Tottenham fan favourite has revealed his reasons for snubbing a return to France with Nice. His comments appeared on Last Words on Spurs’ Twitter account, as Lloris explained the whole situation.
Lloris said, ”I want to clear up the ambiguity surrounding the events of the past hours. Yesterday, an hour before the end of the window, I received a call from an agent who evoked the possibility of joining OGC Nice.”
”Playing prospects and the sporting project, the real motors behind a player’s decision, much more so than financial conditions, weren’t clearly broached.”
”My professional journey has shown that exchange, sharing and collective growth have always forged my decisions, even more so when it’s about coming back to the club that trained me. The supporters and the team deserve better than a split-second decision based on a phone call without expectations or a clear sporting project with one hour until the closure of the window at a time when I wasn’t expecting it.”
“To be honest, I couldn’t sign without this common shared vision, at least with the president and the coach. OGC Nice is, and will remain, a different club for me. It is my city, my club, my blood.”
In hindsight, this might be the right decision for Lloris, who has kept sporting ambitions at the forefront. He’s had offers in the past and stayed put at Tottenham for over a decade.
The Frenchman will have a year remaining on his deal and could become a free agent next summer unless the two parties mutually decide to part ways.