Hugo Lloris 'given £2m payoff when leaving Tottenham Hotspur'

After a marked decline in performances during the 2022-23 campaign, as Spurs missed out on European football for the first time in 14 years, Lloris's time at Tottenham appeared to be nearing an end.

Ange Postecoglou had no room for the Frenchman in his plans, instead bringing in Guglielmo Vicario as his new number one, while Fraser Forster, Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman represent Spurs' backup options in between the sticks.

Lloris was left out of Tottenham's pre-season tour squad in order to explore transfer opportunities, but despite interest from former side Nice and Saudi Arabian clubs - who reportedly offered to treble his wages - a summer exit did not materialise.

Lloris therefore remained at Hotspur Way for the first half of the 2023-24 season, but he did not make a single matchday squad, having been frozen out by Postecoglou despite his years of service to the club.

The former France international would have been able to enter talks over a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January, but before the New Year rolled around, Tottenham confirmed that he would be joining MLS side Los Angeles FC on a free transfer.

Lloris's contract was terminated to allow him to make the move to North America, and according to the Daily Mail, the 37-year-old left with £2m in his pockets thanks to a "golden handshake" with chairman Daniel Levy.

The former Lyon shot-stopper was reportedly earning £100,000 per week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and while Levy did not stump up the entirety of his remaining wages, Lloris was paid the majority of the monies.

Lloris and Levy shared a positive working relationship during the goalkeeper's time in the English capital, which began when he left Lyon for the Lilywhites in 2012, and he would don the Tottenham jersey for 11-and-a-half years.

Over the course of 11 full seasons, Lloris kept 151 clean sheets in 447 matches for Tottenham, including 127 shut-outs in the Premier League, where only 11 goalkeepers have collected more.

The World Cup winner sits eighth in Spurs' all-time appearance charts, and he has played more games for the club than any other player not hailing from the United Kingdom, although he left without winning a single major trophy.

Lloris made his non-competitive debut for LAFC on Wednesday as the Black and Gold lost 1-0 in a friendly to St Louis City, and they have two more exhibition games against Chicago Fire and Toronto before kicking off their MLS season against Seattle Sounders on February 24.

Meanwhile, the Frenchman's successor Vicario has only kept five clean sheets in 23 Premier League games this season, but the Italy international has been hailed as an astute acquisition nonetheless.