Tottenham Hotspur are considering making a move for Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope next summer, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claims that Pope, on a reported £15,000-per-week at Turf Moor [Source: Spotrac], is one of the club’s primary targets as they plan a reshuffle between the sticks ahead of next season.
Current back up Michael Vorm’s – reportedly on £62k-a-week – contract is up at the end of the season, and Mauricio Pochettino is planning to evaluate third choice Paulo Gazzaniga to see whether he’s ready to make the step up to number two status.
If the Spurs boss decides he isn’t then he will dip into the transfer market for an established shot-stopper, with Pope said to be high on his list.
Good move for Tottenham?
This would appear to be a perfect move for Pochettino’s team. Hugo Lloris is firmly entrenched as the club’s number one ‘keeper but Vorm hasn’t set the world on fire as his understudy over the last couple of seasons. Gazzaniga has looked good when he’s played this season but does Pochettino trust him as the first port of call if Lloris picks up an injury or suspension next campaign? Either way Pope would be an upgrade on both Vorm and Gazzaniga. The England international is a terrific, young stopper who would actually be able to exert some pressure on Lloris’s starting spot. He would be an excellent signing for the club.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
Obviously this all depends on Pochettino’s evaluation of Gazzaniga. If the Spurs chief feels that Gazzaniga is good enough to be number two then he’ll probably abandon his chase for Pope. There’s also Burnley to reckon with, who surely wouldn’t be too keen on losing the 26-year-old. However, they do have Joe Hart and Tom Heaton already so it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for them. A lot of things have to go right for this deal to come off, but it’s certainly do-able.
This is Futbol rating: 6/10