LAFC signs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from Tottenham
Hugo Lloris, the most capped player in the history of the French national team and a World Cup winner in 2018, has joined the Los Angeles Football Club.
After playing the past 11 years in north London for the Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League, the 37-year-old goalkeeper heads to LAFC on a one-year guaranteed contract, with club options for 2025 and 2026.
“Hugo is arguably the most successful goalkeeper of his generation and a proven winner. We are incredibly excited that Hugo has chosen LAFC for the next phase of his illustrious career,” LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said in a statement. “He brings unprecedented leadership experience at the highest levels of football, which we know will greatly benefit our Club in our pursuit of more trophies.”
The permanent transfer for Lloris comes after he made 447 appearances across all competitions for Tottenham, including a runner-up finish in the 2019 UEFA Champions League as a teammate of former LAFC forward Gareth Bale.
Lloris played in 70 career Champions League matches, and 31 in Europa League competition.
A native of Nice, France, Lloris served as the Tottenham captain from 2015-2022 before being replaced in August. He began his career with OGC Nice and made his Ligue 1 debut at the age of 19. Lloris joined Olympique Lyon in July of 2008, winning the French Cup and French Super Cup there before transferring to England in August 2012.
During the current Premier League season, Lloris has not played a minute in any of Tottenham’s 19 matches. Behind goalkeepers Guglielmo Vicario and Fraser Forster, Lloris has not stepped on the field for Tottenham since a 6-1 loss to Newcastle in April.
Lloris sought a move in the summer and was in talks to join Serie A club Lazio, but that did not materialize.
The free transfer to Los Angeles comes at a salary-friendly price – $350,000, according to a source – giving LAFC roster flexibility while signaling the likely departure of 29-year-old free-agent French-speaking Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
Fellow free agent John McCarthy signed with the Galaxy, and veteran Eldin Jakupovic’s contract was declined at the start the offseason, heralding a shakeup of LAFC’s goalkeeper unit under assistant coach Oka Nikolov.
Pasadena-born Abraham Romero, 25, is the only other goalkeeper on the LAFC roster.
Following France’s runner-up showing against Argentina last year, Lloris’ fourth trip to the World Cup and second consecutive World Cup finals start preceded his retirement from international competition in January.
Participating in a record 145 matches for his country, during which he registered 68 shutouts, Lloris’ 20 World Cup appearances is the all-time record for a goalkeeper.