HUGO WANTS TO GET ON WITH

TOTTENHAM captain Hugo Lloris cannot wait for the transfer window to close, so they can focus on the new season – with or without Harry Kane.

The striker (right), a £120million-odd target for today’s opponents Manchester City, had been working on his own under quarantine rules after finally reporting for pre-season eight days ago, five days later than expected.

He returned to the first-team group on Friday and soon afterwards Lloris made clear that, along with making new signings Bryan Gil, Cristian Romero and Pierluigi Gollini feel at home, resolving the vicecaptain’s situation one way or the other was a priority.

Lloris (left) said: “Harry is a professional and is here with a smile, he’s here with his team-mates.

“Obviously, there is a situation in the air, we cannot hide that, but it belongs to him and the club.

“I’m just focused on the team and, 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, and that is completely the case, there is no doubt about that.

“At every club there are players who leave, players who come.

“The most important thing is to keep the right energy inside the changing-room, to welcome in the best way the new signings and make sure they feel well.

“And then try to lead the team in the right direction, try to make sure everyone is going in the same direction as a team.

“For sure things will be easier when the

transfer market will be closed.” It has been a summer of change at Spurs with Nuno Espirito Santo coming in as Jose Mourinho’s full-time replacement and Fabio

Paratici arriving as managing director of football.

Lloris added: “There is a new sporting director, he is coming with new ideas, with his football vision, his experiences.

“And then there is also the manager, so it’s probably a new era at the club.

“I still remember well when Tottenham faced Nuno’s Wolves, it was always a tough game, a tough team to play against and I’m sure he is going to bring this discipline, this calmness that describes him into Tottenham.

“The most important thing today is to rediscover the confidence inside the team after a tough season like the last one and try to build something strong.”

Lloris’s own future is also of concern for Spurs fans, with the keeper in the final year of his contract and free to negotiate with suitors from January. Asked what he will do next, he said: “I don’t know. There is nothing from the club.

“I’m just calm and relaxed and focused on myself and making sure I’m ready to compete in the first game.

“There’s an excitement to start the new season against the champions and we know we have to start at our best and get something from that.

“It’s never a good time to be facing City, they have so much quality.

“They are playing amazing football, it’s always tough to play them, but it’s also always exciting.”

MEMO to Tammy Abraham (left): Do not, I repeat, NOT go to Roma. You’re still a young striker and you might get blinded by the myth of Jose Mourinho. But, as a big-money signing, you’ll be the one to blame when – not if – it all goes wrong for him. You should stay in England and progress because Mourinho is now a career-finisher rather than flourisher. The Eternal City is a beautiful place, but

only for sightseeing – not for playing

football.