France Football have revealed a secret clause in Hugo Lloris’ contract that could see the Spurs stopper leaving White Hart Lane for as little as €20 million.
According to the French outfit, Lloris’ buy out clause can be activated provided Spurs fail to qualify for the Champions League.
After a recent loss at Old Trafford, Spurs have fallen behind in the race for the top four sitting six points adrift of the highly coveted 4th spot.
Meanwhile, recent months have seen Manchester United sweating over the contract of their own stopper David De Gea. Currently viewed as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, De Gea has unquestionably been United’s stand out performer this season.
With Real Madrid hotly tipped to make a move for the Spanish keeper in the summer and recent quotes attributed to De Gea’s girlfriend suggesting that she may be keen to see her significant other make a change, the signs have all pointed in the direction of an impending transfer to the Bernabeu.
However, one would have to assume that such a vastly lower price tag for Tottenham’s Lloris would see a number of top clubs’ heads turned.
The thought that Lloris may want to leave is also not very far fetched. Lloris has only ever won the Coupe de France whilst playing with Lyon during the 2011-12 season, and at 28 years of age he is surely seeking the opportunity to widen his medal collection.
Such contract leaks are also commonly fed to the media by players’ representation. If Lloris’s agent has in fact pushed the buyout clause, one has to wonder who will come knocking to the “come get me” plea.
Considering De Gea’s form this season, one would assume the United stopper would command a fee of somewhere in between 40-50 million pounds. With the Frenchman available for such a vastly lower price and still currently considered as one of the top 5 goal keepers in the world, one has to wonder if this clause could see Real Madrid make a move for the cheaper option?
If not, one could easily see United reluctantly selling De Gea to the Madrid side and quickly making a move for Lloris as a replacement whilst making a tidy profit in the process. Whatever the outcome, it doesn’t look like Spurs fans will be too happy.