Tottenham have fought hard to banish their label as a selling club, but they face another battle to hold onto their star players this summer.
Club captain Hugo Lloris is thought to be on the radar of several top clubs after another fine season, and he did not hide his frustration when Spurs were knocked out of the Champions League.
A goalkeeper of his quality deserves to be playing among Europe’s elite, and should also be winning trophies.
The Lilywhites’ last chance of doing that comes in the form of the FA Cup, but they’ll have to get past Chelsea to reach the final.
Nonetheless, Lloris’ future doesn’t seem to be dependent on that.
After an interview with French publication Le Figaro, it sounds as if the 30-year-old – who only recently signed a new contract to keep him in north London – will only consider quitting White Hart Lane if Mauricio Pochettino does so first.
While he says he’s not “desperate” to leave, he admitted:
“I feel good at Tottenham, but in football everything’s fragile and can change. Some things you can’t refuse.
“Certainly, my destiny is linked to Mauricio. He matters a lot to me.
“Our relationship goes beyond football, it’s a match, and one day he will be the best manager in the world. For me he is already. His presence and our relationship are the most important elements for me.”
That isn’t the most helpful comment to be making going into a crucial period for Spurs, but it’s a harsh reality the board must accept.
Pochettino has been linked with both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and he has been similarly coy on his own future.
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