Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of agreeing personal terms with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya as a possible replacement for long-serving skipper Hugo Lloris, according to renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Spurs are facing stiff competition for Raya’s signature from Manchester United, who are also looking to bring the 27-year-old to Old Trafford to provide competition to David de Gea.
De Gea is close to agreeing a new contract with United, but his salary and bonuses will be significantly reduced. The 32-year-old’s contract expires this summer, however, he is expected to put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the club beyond the end of next season.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham lead the race to complete the deal for Raya as they are now close to reaching an agreement with the Spain international on personal terms. It is believed that he will sign a long-term contract after positive talks were held between the player and the North Londoners.
Lloris is expected to end his 11-year spell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium even though his contract will end next year. The former France shot-stopper was unconvincing last season as he shipped in 45 goals across all competitions and made the most errors (four) leading to goals in the top-flight.
Replacement for Hugo Lloris
Tottenham have been liked with a move for several goalkeepers this summer, including Jordan Pickford, but Raya has emerged as a serious target.
The Brentford no.1 is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League and his desire to play for a ‘big club’ could see him leave Gtech Community Stadium this summer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Raya is open to joining Spurs but negotiations with Brentford will be crucial in the coming weeks with the Bees demanding £40m for the highly-rated goalkeeper. Tottenham consider this figure to be too high, so it will be interesting to see if they can negotiate a lower price.
Since moving to Brentford from Blackburn in 2019, the ball-playing goalkeeper has become a fan favourite at the club. He has featured in 161 games and kept 54 clean sheets across all competitions.
Last season, the Spaniard racked up 39 appearances and kept 12 clean sheets in all competitions as they finished ninth in the Premier League with 59 points.
Read more: Report: Tottenham eye swoop to sign exciting winger
