Goalkeepers play arguably the most pivotal, yet underrated role on a football pitch.
There have been many great goalkeepers in eras gone by and a fair share in this current era of world football. Remarkably, quite a few of them seem to be on the move this summer. Legendary gloveman Iker Casillas and Peter Cech appear to be leaving Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively, with David de Gea expected to replace Casillas at Real Madrid. Should de Gea make the move to the Spanish capital, Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris has been strongly linked to replace him at Manchester United.
In the event that Real cannot prize de Gea from Old Trafford, they may yet again look to White Hart Lane to sign another “Galactico”.
A goalkeeper merry-go-round is imminent this summer and should Lloris leave Spurs, there is a hole to be filled. Here are some of the candidates.
Michel Vorm
Spurs could have an internal replacement readymade for Lloris in the form of backup shot stopper Michel Vorm. The Dutchman was signed from Swansea last season as part of the deal that took Ben Davies to White Hart Lane. He was Spurs’ cup ‘keeper last season, filling in in the Capital One Cup as well as the FA Cup. Vorm’s overall game is not quite on par with that of Lloris, but his distribution is superior and his long, zippy throws are an asset to any team. Spurs fans, however, would feel underwhelmed if Vorm is Lloris’ replacement. Even though he is good, he is not world class.
Asmir Begovic
Begovic and Spurs have history. As a young 22-year-old leaving Portsmouth to join a bigger club, Begovic had the option of joining Tottenham Hotspur or Stoke City. He opted for Stoke due to “sporting reasons” but it appeared that Spurs had already paid a £1 million installment on the transfer which Portsmouth was ordered to repay Spurs. He has grown from strength to strength in his five years at the Potters and has shown himself to be among the top brass of goalkeepers in the Premier League. It remains to be seen if Begovic would consider joining Spurs following his snub earlier in his career but he surely will be looking to leave Stoke soon to advance his career and hopefully play European football.
Bernd Leno
A left-field option would be Bayer Leverkusen’s, Bernd Leno. He is not well known in England but he is considered Germany’s best goalkeeper after Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen. Leno has the physical frame to succeed in the Premier League at 6’3″ and still has plenty of potential. He would need convincing to join Spurs though, as Leverkusen will be playing Champions League football next season. This would also mean Spurs would have to use the majority of any money made from Lloris’ sale to convince the German club to sell.
Iker Casillas
Casillas has been sensationally linked to Tottenham in the past few days. He offers vital experience to any dressing room and would be a key figure in Pochettino’s young side and is not too old for a keeper. The big doubts surrounding a move to Spurs, however, are Casillas’ wages as well as his struggles from set pieces in Spain. The Premier League is brutal when it comes to physicality at set pieces. Even de Gea himself struggled with this during his first season and it is not inconceivable that Casillas would suffer the same fate. Should he adjusts to it, he would prove a shrewd signing.
[interaction id=”55837545a67b561d26cbd2bd”]
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
