After handing over the captain’s armband to Son Heung-min, Hugo Joris is looking for a new challenge in Italy instead of Saudi Arabia.
The UK’s Daily Mail reported on April 16 (KST) that “Lazio have opened talks with Tottenham Hotspur over Yoris. Yoris is looking for a new challenge away from the Premier League and discussions are underway between Lazio and Tottenham. A transfer could be completed before the start of the new season this weekend.”
Yossi joined Spurs from Olympique Lyonnais in 2012 and has been the club’s first-choice goalkeeper ever since. His leadership skills earned him the captaincy in 2015. Despite not winning any trophies, he was part of Tottenham’s golden era, finishing second in the league in 2016/17, runner-up in the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19 and runner-up in the League Cup in 2020/21.
After nearly 11 years together, the end is in sight. Yi lost his starting spot in the 2022/23 season to Fraser Forster. In the second half of the season, injuries took him out of the lineup altogether and he wasn’t able to contribute much to the team.
He signed a new two-year contract with the Spurs last year, but in June, he publicly expressed his desire to leave the club this summer. Having been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, a return to his hometown club OGC Nice, and a move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain, Yoris will now seek a new challenge in Italy.
In June, Yoris said, “It’s the end of an era. I have a desire for something else. I asked myself what is possible. First of all, I have one year left on my contract at Tottenham and it’s hard to predict what will happen in football. The most important thing for me now is to recover well from my injury and get back to the top in July. Then we’ll see what the future holds.”
Yoris has since been left off the Spurs’ roster for their preseason Asia tour this summer. New Tottenham manager Enzi Postecoglou included key players such as Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, but not Yoritza. This was done as a courtesy to the club to explore a possible transfer.
Although he was listed as the number one on the Tottenham squad for the 2023/24 season, which was announced by the club on March 13, his departure was effectively finalized when he handed over the captaincy to Son Heung-min, a position he had held for nearly eight years.
Gianluca DiMarzio, who specializes in Italian football news, said: “Yoris is one of the names at the top of Lazio’s transfer list. Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has been keeping tabs on him and he could join the club before the start of the new Serie A season at the weekend.”
Lazio are currently in talks with Tottenham over the transfer fee. According to the Daily Mail, Spurs were willing to let Yoris become a free agent, but chairman Daniel Levy wants to secure a transfer fee given that he still has a year left on his contract.
Yoris also reportedly favors a move to Lazio over any other offer. Lazio have reportedly emphasized to Yoris that he can play in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Meanwhile, Son, who was handed the captain’s armband by Yoris, made his captaincy debut in the league opener against Brentford on Sept. 13, but did not perform well, conceding a penalty. Tottenham barely managed a 2-2 draw, and Heung-min did not escape criticism as the team accepted their second-lowest rating.
However, his pre-match gesture of taking the players to the front of the away fans traveling to Brentford’s stadium to greet and chant for them drew applause.온라인카지노
James Maddison, who moved to Tottenham this season and has become vice-captain, said: “Son Heung-min texted me and said he had an idea. He said he had an idea instead of huddling in the middle of the pitch. I think the fans were happy because it showed we were all together. It was a good idea from him and it gave us a positive start,” he said, praising Son for his plan to greet the fans in front of the stadium.