Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Jan Oblak...

What's the word?

That's according to reports in Spain, which state that Spurs are looking for a new shot-stopper to replace Hugo Lloris in the short-term but they'll face competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United.

It's believed that Atletico Madrid are holding out for around €30m (£26.7m) and that they have already lined up a replacement in the form of Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Oblak's contract runs out in the summer, so the LaLiga outfit may be forced into a sale during the January transfer window.

A proven Lloris successor

The Slovakia international is the latest glovesman to be linked with a switch to Hotspur Way in recent weeks, joining Leeds United's Illan Meslier in the frame to take the reins from the French no.1 in due course.

Oblak has been widely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in world football in recent years and would represent a more instant option to replace Lloris between the sticks.

There's no denying that Meslier has been a standout for the Yorkshiremen in recent seasons but the 29-year-old is simply on a different level, having won the Spanish title, a Europa League and finished runner-up in the Champions League.

That sort of experience is invaluable and is exactly what Spurs will need when Lloris does hang up the gloves.

Once described as a "beast" by BT Sport presenter Reshmin Chowdhury and a "titan" by OptaJose, Oblak has proven to be one of Diego Simeone's most reliable performers over the years, having been entrusted to start every single LaLiga game over the past three seasons.

"For me, Jan Oblak is the best goalkeeper in the world," claimed teammate Koke only back in March this year and that only further highlights just how respected and important he is to the Colchoneros.

At 35, Lloris isn't going to be around forever and whilst he's got a few more years in him, it's unlikely that current backup Fraser Forster is the man to replace the £100k-per-week stalwart, who is often dubbed a club "legend".

Therefore, sporting director Fabio Paratici ought to look at Oblak in the upcoming transfer window as his proven ability and vast experience could be exactly what Tottenham need to fill such a great void in the coming years.

AND in other news, Antonio Conte handed boost ahead of Arsenal clash...