Ange Postecoglou reveals ‘first-class’ Tottenham star is free to leave in January; two others could follow

Ange Postecoglou has revealed that veteran Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will be free to leave the club in the January transfer window.

Spurs are keen to bring in a new centre-back and a winger this winter, but they could also see some high-profile players leave.

Lloris has been heavily linked with a move away from the North London club since Tottenham signed Guglielmo Vicario to replace him in the summer.

He could be followed out the door by other exit-linked players such as Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The 36-year-old also sits behind Fraser Forster in the pecking order and is yet to feature in a competitive match under Postecoglou.

Lloris was Tottenham’s captain until the manager handed the armband to Heung-min Son at the start of the season.

Lloris signed for Spurs way back in 2012. He has made 444 appearances to date for them, keeping 151 clean sheets in the process.

However, with his contract due to expire next summer, he now faces a decision over whether to leave Tottenham for a nominal fee in January or to sit on the bench for the rest of the campaign.

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Postecoglou was asked about Lloris in a recent press conference and gave his thoughts on his future. He also said that he has been ‘first-class’ in training despite not being picked for matches.

“[Lloris’ future] is not my decision. It’s a decision for Hugo and the club. I don’t have that power and don’t want that power,” Postecoglou said.

“Hugo is a member of this squad and how he trains every day is important to me. If he wasn’t then I’d be dealing with it but I haven’t had to, he has been absolutely first-class.

“As a manager, I don’t take that for granted because that could be a problem for me. For most managers, it is the ones who aren’t playing who give you the biggest headaches. It’s his decision to make.”

Real Madrid have previously been linked with Lloris but it seems unlikely that they will come back in for him in January.

With that in mind, a move back to France seems to be the most likely option for the experienced goalkeeper at this stage.

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