Tottenham to tell disgruntled Lloris: You're going nowhere

Nov 13, 2012 1:15:00 PM

The France goalkeeper is unhappy at playing second fiddle to Brad Friedel in the Premier League, but the Londoners will not entertain the idea of selling him in January

EXCLUSIVE
By Greg Stobart

Tottenham will tell Hugo Lloris he will not be sold in January, even though the unhappy goalkeeper is expected to demand clarification on his future next week.

The France captain has made just one Premier League appearance since his £12 million (€15m) switch from Lyon in the summer, with 41-year-old Brad Friedel currently preferred by Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas as the club’s first-choice keeper.

Reports in France have suggested Lloris will ask to leave Tottenham in January if he is still on the substitutes’ bench for Saturday’s north London derby against Arsenal - and it is understood that Villas-Boas has no plans to drop Friedel.

But a club source told Goal.com: "There is a lot of talk about his lack of action, inside and outside the club, but there is absolutely no chance he will be sold in January.

"He is the future of the club."

Lloris, 25, has already held one meeting with Villas-Boas about the Portuguese’s plans for him and is desperate to play in the league, having been restricted to four appearances in cup competitions so far this season.

Villas-Boas and France coach Didier Deschamps have been engaged in a war of words over Lloris’ situation, with the latter expressing his frustration over the former Nice man’s lack of action.

Responding to Deschamps' most recent claims that his rotation policy is having a detrimental effort on Lloris' form, Villas-Boas told reporters: "It goes in one ear and comes out the other."

That prompted a reply from the France manager this week, telling L'Equipe: "What he (Villas-Boas) says has the same effect on me."

And while Lloris has publicly declared that he understands his position, behind the scenes he is believed to be growing increasingly concerned, having expected to play regularly when he moved to White Hart Lane.

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