Spurs defender warns club not to sell prized player

Tottenham Hotspur may face a struggle to hang on to first-choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris this summer, and one of its other top players is urging the club not to sell. Defender Jan Vertonghen spoke about Hugo Lloris' importance to the club and to Spurs' ambitions to make the Champions League next season, as reported by The Guardian.

"He's a great guy, great captain, great goalkeeper and a brilliant player for us.

He's the captain, very important and this season he was one of our best players. He's been outstanding for us and if you want to continue growing as a club you have to keep your best players and Hugo is one of them. I hope Tottenham can keep him. It will be a sign for everyone next year that we want to compete in the Premier League."

Of course, everyone wants to keep Hugo Lloris around. He's legitimately the best player on Spurs' roster at present and his shot-stopping ability is immensely important to Spurs' chances of making the top four next season, regardless of any further signings or improvements Spurs may make. But it may be tricky. Reports are that Real Madrid has nearly finalized a £25m move for Manchester United's David De Gea, which likely makes Lloris United's top choice to succeed him.

But if you believe Lloris in his recent interview with L'Equipe, he's not going to pull a Luka Modric and try and force a move unless United come in with a stupid money offer for him. It's a weird season for goalkeeper transfers, and anything can happen. Vertonghen is right, though: Lloris is one of the lynchpins to a successful Tottenham season in 2015-16, and the club should do everything it can to keep Hugo happy and at Spurs.