Tottenham Hotspur have now been linked with a move for Edouard Mendy as their search for a long-term Hugo Lloris successor continues...

What's the word?

According to 90min, the Chelsea shot-stopper is one of several candidates being considered as a potential replacement for the long-serving France veteran, who will turn 36 in December.

Lloris is currently at the World Cup in Qatar, alongside Mendy, and has emerged on the radar at Hotspur Way.

It remains to be seen whether the Blues would allow their backup goalkeeper to leave to a direct Premier League rival and for how much, however, the Senegal international is currently valued at €50m (£43m) by CIES Football Observatory, two and a half years after his £22m move from Stade Rennes.

Lloris replacement?

Not only is Lloris getting on a bit but his consistency between the sticks has regularly been called into question over the last couple of seasons.

Back in 2021, his display in the 5-4 defeat to Everton in the FA Cup saw talkSPORT pundits Trevor Sinclair and Jason Cundy slam him as "a weak link" and as having "lettuce wrists."

More recently, Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer slammed him for a "stupid" mistake as his former side, Newcastle United, beat Spurs last month.

Mendy would be an intriguing alternative to the Frenchman's throne, particularly given their links to Leeds United's Illan Meslier and Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid, and the fact that he has lost his place to Kepa Arrizabalaga since Graham Potter took the helm.

Last season, though, the Senegal star registered the fourth-best save percentage of any other keeper in the Premier League, via FBref, whilst the 6 foot 4 titan also stopped more crosses than all but four other keepers, both of which were better than Lloris.

The Chelsea outcast will also be six years younger than Lloris at the turn of the new year, so he could certainly be a viable option for several seasons, should manager Antonio Conte hold genuine interest.

“Chelsea have gone up a level since Mendy's come in, the shot-stopping is excellent. When I think of Kepa I think of a highly strung goalkeeper, with Mendy he's always in control," claimed BT Sport's Chris Sutton only last year. "Some of these saves are incredible. He's agile, he's good with the ball at his feet. He is to Chelsea what Alisson has been to Liverpool."

If Spurs can bring that sort of player in, then they would surely be in safe hands for the foreseeable future, so any move for Mendy - or any goalkeeper - could mean that Conte finally ditches the long-serving "legend."

AND in other news, Spurs swoop for £43m "phenomenon" is still "open", he'd be a dream for Conte...