By Joe Ellis

6th May, 2022 | 11:48am

View: Tottenham can replace Hugo Lloris with current academy ace Thimothee Lo-Tutala

Hugo Lloris has marshalled the Tottenham Hotspur goal almost exclusively since he arrived in North London in 2012 but time is running out.

The Frenchman and Spurs club captain is 35 years of age now and his time at the top level of football is nearing its final destination and the future needs to be considered.

Luckily for Antonio Conte and Spurs, Lloris is working closely with one of the academy’s brightest young shot-stoppers and he could be in line to replace his countryman in the not too distant future.

Thimothee Lo-Tutala has asserted himself as the Tottenham Under-23s number one in the latter part of this season having kept a clean sheet in more than 50% of his games in the Premier League 2 (five in nine, as per Transfer Markt).

He is still some development and a few cup games away from being anywhere near ready to take on the leading role between the sticks but there is no need for Spurs to panic in the summer and make a rash purchase in that department.

Conte knows for sure that Lo-Tutala is getting all the right guidance from his trusted number one and as he digests every nugget of information that Lloris offers, he will keep improving.

The only outlying issue is that his contract with the club is set to expire at the end of this season and at only 19 years of age, it is far too soon to be letting such talent leave without a transfer fee.

Conte has to get his signature on a fresh new deal and then begin to integrate him into the senior side so when the time comes for Lloris to hang up his gloves, Lo-Tutala is ready to step into the limelight and be the man between the sticks for years to come at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In other Tottenham news, a Derby County attacker is piquing the interest of Spurs with Leeds rivalling their bid.