TIME TO PUT MO ONEY TALK ASIDE
Lloris wants Spurs to forget saga over Kane Guardiola insists he’s not bought his success
HARRY KANE’S battle to quit Tottenham is okay with Hugo Lloris – as long as it does no damage in the dressing room. So far, so good in that respect, according to club captain Lloris, after Kane was welcomed back into the fold on Friday.
Sure, the England skipper may be at odds with the Spurs hierarchy amid an increasingly bitter scrap to join Manchester City.
And the fact Pep Guardiola’s champions happen to be in N17 today only compounds the saga, with the £150million-rated striker’s participation in the balance.
However, Lloris dismissed the idea that Kane’s dispute is upsetting anyone inside Nuno Espirito Santo’s camp.which is the France keeper’s only concern ahead of this afternoon’s showdown.
Lloris declared: “Harry is a professional and he’s here with a smile and here with his teammates.
“Obviously there’s a situation in the air, we cannot hide that, but it belongs to him and the club.
“I can’t talk about that. I’m just focused on the team today. If the manager needs him, he will be professional.
“It can happen at any club.the most important thing is to feel the player is professional and respectful to his teammates.
“That is completely the case, there’s no doubt.as long as it does not affect the team it’s not a problem.
“The most important thing for me, as captain and player, is to see my teammates going in the same direction together.”
Lloris does accept City’s pursuit of Kane is probably far from finished.
“We’re in a period when a lot of things can happen. It’s the same all around the world.that’s also the message from the manager,” said the 2016 World Cup winner. “But, for sure, things will be easier when the transfer market is closed.”
If the future of Kane
(below) is still to be resolved, the same applies to Lloris – albeit he is not attempting to go anywhere.
That said, with only one year left on his contract and no talks held to date, his 10th season at the club could be his last.
Lloris, 34, revealed: “I don’t know. There’s nothing from the club, to be honest.
“But I don’t have to show my loyalty coming into season No.10. I’m calm and relaxed. I’m not affected by that. I’m just enjoying football.”
Indeed, Lloris is positively relishing a new dawn under a new Portuguese coach.
He went on: “I remember well when we faced Nuno’swolves – it was always a tough game.
“I’m sure he’ll bring this discipline and this calmness into Tottenham.
“To rediscover the confidence inside the team after a tough season like the last one is important.there are a lot of challenges in front of us.
“It’s too early to talk about targets. We need to be competitive and build something strong.”
PEP GUARDIOLA has come out fighting over suggestions he’s a chequebook boss. The Manchester City manager has been stung by Jurgen Klopp’s claim that he has an unfair advantage in his quest for a fourth Premier League title in five seasons thanks to Sheikh Mansour’s billions.
City have broken the British transfer record for Jack Grealish and expect to shatter it again by bringing Harry Kane to The Etihad, after their explosive season-opener at Tottenham today.
Guardiola has reminded his critics how he built his reputation at Barcelona on the homegrown talents of
Lionel Messi, Xavi and
Andres Iniesta (right).
And after a frustrated
Klopp suggested the champions are spending beyond their means, the Catalan fired back by insisting some owners are only motivated by the money they make.
Guardiola said: “We won two Champions Leagues at Barcelona with seven players who came from the academy.two finals against (Manchester) United, seven players, zero cost. Each club has its own reality.and every owner decides how he wants to live.you can win from investment – and investing a lot has helped us because we needed players.
“But Liverpool were fighting and fighting and were able to spend on two incredible players.they won the Champions League, won the Premier League. If they don’t want to spend more now, maybe it’s because they believe they don’t need it or because the owners don’t want it.”
City won their appeal against a Champions League ban but are still fighting a perception they don’t adhere to
Financial Fair Play
Regulations.
Guardiola said: “Every season we have passed the control of Financial Fair Play.
“But I say the same, there are owners who want benefits for themselves.we spend because we can do it.we don’t spend when we cannot do it.”