Tottenham Hotspur's attentions have turned to finding a new goalkeeper, according to recent reports...

What's the word?

Italian newspaper La Repubblica have run a print story on Spurs' interest in Napoli shot-stopper Alex Meret, which has been relayed by Calcio Napoli 24 this week.

It's thought that the Lilywhites are interested in signing the 25-year-old ahead of the summer, though the Serie A side are expected to offer him a contract extension to 2028, hopefully as champions of Italy.

It remains to be seen how much the 6 foot 3 titan would command, especially if they hand him a lucrative deal worth more than the £47k-per-week he's currently on.

Meret can end Lloris' reign

Valued at €25m (£22m) some five-and-a-half years after his €35m (£30m) switch from Udinese, Meret has emerged as one of the Italian top-flight's best goalkeepers - even earning a comparison to one of the best to ever do it.

"I saw him grow in all aspects, both technically and in terms of character," Antonio Di Natale told Radio Kiss Kiss (via Besoccer). "Napoli have secured a goalkeeper for the next 10 years. For me, he's the new Buffon."

Meanwhile, FBref actually liken his statistical profile to that of Hugo Lloris (as well as Manchester United's David De Gea), which does make him an ideal candidate to take over from the French veteran.

The 36-year-old's performances since the World Cup have been called into question, potentially heightening the need to find his replacement, sooner rather than later.

After the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick claimed: "Dropped a clanger to gift Arsenal the lead. Made smart saves to deny Odegaard and Nketiah twice, but increasingly feels like a liability."

Whilst another mistake at the start of January saw Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness also slam the Spurs captain. He said: "I am not a big fan of Hugo Lloris, I've said it for a long time. He's made four errors leading to goals since the start of last season, the most of any keeper in the league. For me, he is past his sell-by date."

Meret, meanwhile, has been part of the table-topping Gli Azzurri backline that has leaked the fewest goals this season. Per FBref, he is also averaging a clean sheet rate of 42%, some 12% more than Lloris, this term.

His save percentage also outranks the vastly-experienced 2018 World Cup winner (74% vs 68.9%).

Therefore, the Napoli glovesman - who Carlo Ancelotti dubbed a "great talent" - could well be the man to finally see the £100k-per-week star axed from Spurs' starting XI at long last, should sporting director Fabio Paratici follow up his tentative interest in his signature in 2023.

AND in other news, Spurs have "eye" on "dominant" £35m "prodigy" in summer, could be Conte's next Bastoni...