Mike Maignan has been impressive for Lille
According to a report from La Voix du Nord (h/t Football.london), Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos has urged the club to raid his former club LOSC Lille for the signing of goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Santos joined Tottenham last November, following the arrival of Jose Mourinho at the helm. Prior to that, he was the goalkeeping coach at Lille. He had worked closely with Maignan, helping him grow into one of the best in Ligue 1. And now, he is urging Mourinho and Tottenham to make a move for the 24-year-old. (h/t Football.london)
Maignan is a product of the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy. The shot-stopper moved to Lille in 2015 in search of first-team football and has racked up 132 appearances for the club so far, keeping 42 clean sheets.
The 24-year-old was named Ligue 1’s goalkeeper of the year for the 2018/19 campaign and enjoyed another strong season in 2019/20, finishing with 13 clean sheets in 37 matches.
Tottenham are in need of a new goalkeeper as captain Hugo Lloris enters the twilight of his career. The World Cup winner has made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes this season that have cost us matches. Paulo Gazzaniga, while being a decent fallback option, is not at the level to be the No.1 at the club.
Hence, bringing in Maignan would be a wise move by the club. The 24-year-old could also be tempted to rejoin hands with Santos, considering the emotional goodbye message he posted upon his departure from Lille.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the club’s finances. So, it remains to be seen if Mourinho will have a budget to sign a new goalkeeper, as there are other positions that need more urgent reinforcements.
