Hugo Lloris stole the headlines as Spurs emerged with a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid on Tuesday night and, inevitability, triggered talk of a summer move to the Bernabeu.
For that to happen the Spanish giants would have to abandon their long-standing interest in Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.
It is no secret that Real are in the market for a new custodian, and it would appear that the Premier League is the aisle in which they’re shopping.
And so it should be. While we have lauded the attacking talents of Manchester City this season, it can sometimes go unnoticed that England’s top-flight also boats the best netminders in the world, Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer apart, of course.
But who is the better option for Real, De Gea or Lloris? Here, Sportsmail takes a closer look.
Hugo Lloris put in a performance of the highest standard away at Real Madrid on Tuesday
Both he and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea are on Real Madrid’s radar
Saves
The currency in which all goalkeepers trade is keeping the ball out of the net. In six years at United, De Gea has made 555 saves in the Premier League, and that equates to 2.66 per match.
Lloris, meanwhile, has produced 437 saves in one season less at Spurs, which is 2.45 per match.
That, though, is perhaps an unfair comparison, especially as Lloris has played behind the division’s best defence in recent seasons and thus has less to do in many matches.
The save percentage statistic is a little more telling and, for this season alone, De Gea has kept out 86 per cent of the efforts on his target, while Lloris is lower at 74 per cent.
Lloris produced a stunning save to deny Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema in the second half
Clean sheets & goals conceded
Goalkeepers are, of course, aided by their backlines, but they still claim a clean sheet as a victory for themselves.
To that end, De Gea has 82 (one every 2.53 games) in the league compared to the 64 (one every 2.78 games) of Lloris. There isn’t much in it and a closer look at goals conceded tells a similar story – De Gea lets in 0.95 goals per game, while Lloris ships 1.06.
De Gea produced a stunning save of his own as he thwarted Liverpool’s Joel Matip
Errors & own goals
All stoppers are prone to a blunder and invariably they are highlighted given the consequences of their errors. The best keepers, though, keep those mistakes to a minimum.
Official Premier League statistics tell you that De Gea has been directly responsible for just six concessions from his 208 appearances. Lloris, though, has made 11 errors which have directly led to a goal from 30 games fewer.
As for own goals, that count reads De Gea 1 Lloris 0.
Lloris received an embrace from manager Mauricio Pochettino as he leaves the field
Sweeper keeper
It is the modern way that goalkeepers today must be able to mop up in behind their rearguard, a style made fashionable by Neuer, and he’s just about the best out there.
Lloris is very much in this mould and he has made an impressive 209 ‘sweeper clearances’ in his time at White Hart Lane and now Wembley.
De Gea, though, prefers the comfort of his own penalty area and his count is just 72.
The French goalkeeper was a key player as Spurs took a point from the European champions
Pass master
Pep Guardiola will tell you that goalkeepers need to be the last line of defence and the first line of attack.
And, to be fair to this pair, you get the impression they’d fancy themselves in the outfield, although it is Lloris who possesses more style with his elegant left boot. The Frenchman makes 24 passes per match compared to De Gea’s 22 and both have played over 1,000 accurate long balls in their time on these shores, although Lloris has the better ratio of hitting his intended target.
As for statistics such as throw outs, catches and high claims, there is again nothing between them.
De Gea, formerly of Atletico Madrid, has been a long-time target of city rivals Real
Verdict
They are two men at the top of their trade and it is little wonder the likes of Real Madrid are casting admiring eyes.
It will be difficult to prise either from their current club, of course, but Real will be making this position their No 1 priority in the coming months.
And, at 26 years old – four years the junior of Lloris – you have to say that De Gea is the better long-term prospect for Los Blancos.
He is a goalkeeper who has another decade ahead of him and it could be argued his best years are yet to come.
The two goalkeepers are arguably two of the best in the world at this moment in time