This summer is seeing many on-loan prospects securing a permanent move following their impressive displays last season with their respective sides. The latest two instances have been Newcastle United doing it for former Chelsea winger Christian Atsu and then Leeds United sealing a deal for winger Hadi Sacko from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur’s third-choice goalkeeper Pau López could be the next player to join the list as the North-London side has reportedly tabled a bid of €2m (£1.74m plus a further €2m in add-ons) to his club Espanyol, and are confident of sealing it soon. Tottenham’s immense interest in the player is indicted in a clause in the deal that guarantees the La Liga side a cut of any future sale.
The 22-year-old hasn’t featured for Spurs a single time in the top-flight, but manager Mauricio Pochettino seems quite impressed with him. In April, the Argentine has expressed how happy he was with the player, saying, “He is very competitive and has a strong character. He needs to learn and improve but he is ready – physically and mentally.”
Lopez has played seven times in the Under-23 Premier League competition, where he conceded eight goals showing composure and maturity beyond his age. He will already be representing Spain in the Under-21 Championship that is to be held in Poland later this month.
The Lilywhites had the option of sealing his deal back in January itself for €7m (£6.08m), but they decided to wait till the summer to get him a cut-price deal. Lopez was a deadline day transfer last summer and the prospect of playing under Pochettino played a huge factor in it. It was in Espanyol that Pochettino started his career as a manager and had a big influence on the player.
Lopez was Espanyol’s first choice goalie in the 2015-16 season, where he managed 36 outings, but he doesn’t seem attached to the club anymore. He is approaching the last year of his contract with the Spanish club, and Espanyol will definitely want to cash in on him while they can.
With Hugo Lloris ahead in the pecking order, Lopez is definitely not seeking the first-team action anytime soon. But him replacing Michael Vorm could be a possibility. The 33-year-old Dutch international is approaching the last year of his contract at White Hart Lane and could move elsewhere for the first-team action now. And Spurs making a move for Lopez rather than starting contract talks with Vorm pretty much indicates that.
