Hugo Lloris replacement rumours come from reliable German source

Stuttgart’s Gregor Kobel is linked to a Tottenham summer move, with the Swiss 23-year-old touted to eventually replace Hugo Lloris.  

While a number of online publications have picked the story up faster than Jose Mourinho moving into Mauricio Pochettino‘s office, it’s crucial to vet thoroughly the original source of the speculation.

During the manic, sensationalist summer transfer period it’s not uncommon to see publications touting rumours devoid of veracity, some even tipping over onto on the ludicrous side of things.

But the latest rumours focussing on Tottenham’s advances on Kobel come from a Kicker.De, one of Germany’s most reputable and relied upon football magazines. So one can presume there is merit to the rumour picking up more momentum than comments about Tottenham loanee Juan Foyth‘s Europa League triumph.

Borussia Dortmund is also said to be in the hunt for Kobel, so Spurs have their work cut out for them if they are to make a serious push to sign the Swiss goalkeeper. It would cost Tottenham about £13 million to secure Kobel’s signature, but Borussia Dortmund are still thought of as the frontrunners.

So who is Gregor Kobel?

Kobel joined Hoffenheim on loan from Grasshopper Club Zurich in 2015. He spent five successful years in Hoffenheim before going on loan to Augsburg, where he stayed for a single season. He then moved to Stuttgart in 2019.

WhoScored’s vague scouting report devalues his passing ability while praising his ability as a shot stopper.

He had only 5 clean sheets in 33 appearances this season, as opposed to 11 in the previous campaign, when Stuttgart earned promotion into the Bundesliga. In the side’s first season back in the top flight of German football, Kobel managed to backstop his side to a ninth place finish. Not too shabby for a freshly promoted side.

It’s way too early to tell if he has what it takes to eventually replace the legendary Lloris in Tottenham’s goal, but the rumours are solid, so now we play the waiting game transfer season is so infuriatingly known for.