Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu is becoming a more serious option to take over from Hugo Lloris at Tottenham Hotspur, a report has claimed.
Tottenham are in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer, since Lloris is approaching the final year of his contract. After a catalogue of recent errors, the club captain is likely to be replaced as number one.
He might even leave the club altogether, with recent transfer gossip suggesting he has a lucrative offer to treble his wages with a side from Saudi Arabia. And since he is currently injured for the rest of the season, Lloris might have played his last game for Tottenham.
Spurs need to be seriously thinking about who will take over from him next season. They currently have Fraser Forster deputising in goal, but require a long-term successor to Lloris.
In that regard, various potential targets have been linked. Now, Bazunu has been named as one candidate in a report by Football Insider.
Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on Saturday. Their drop to the Championship will see several of their players targeted by bigger clubs.
Captain James Ward-Prowse is one, having already attracted Tottenham and other suitors. And according to Football Insider, Bazunu could be one of the first casualties of Southampton’s relegation.
Per the report, the Republic of Ireland international is rising up Tottenham’s shortlist of potential Lloris replacements.
That’s despite him recently losing his place as a starter for Southampton to Alex McCarthy. Prior to his drop down the pecking order, Bazunu had played 37 times for Saints this season.
It has been his first season with the club following a transfer from Manchester City. Having cut his teeth in the Premier League now, even if it has ended in relegation, the 21-year-old could be ready for another top-flight challenge.
Tottenham to test Southampton resolve for Bazunu
Southampton have Bazunu under contract until 2027, but will be vulnerable to offers for any of their higher-pedigree players this summer.
Therefore, they might be bracing themselves for a bid from Tottenham for Bazunu. As things stand, it isn’t yet clear how much Spurs would be willing to pay, nor how much Southampton are aiming to raise.
Yet the former Rochdale and Portsmouth loanee fits the kind of profile that Tottenham are looking for when it comes to their next keeper, given his age and potential to develop.
Whether he is ready to step up to Tottenham’s level is another question. Perhaps it would be wiser for Spurs to sign someone in their mid-twenties to become their next main goalkeeper.
But sometimes clubs have to be reactive in the transfer market and Southampton’s relegation could be an example. If they truly believe in Bazunu’s potential, now might be the right time for Tottenham to try and sign him.
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