Whilst most clubs, Tottenham Hotspur very much included, are still concentrating on the 2017 summer transfer window, Real Betis are apparently already looking forward to 2018.
Regional Seville newspaper Estadio Deportivo say Betis are planning a big 2018/19 season, and what will be a big renewal of their hopes. Of course, it could all be distraction and easing pressure for the current season, but Estadio Deportivo are buying into it.
One of the plans already being worked on is signing Pau Lopez on a free transfer from Espanyol. Tottenham had Pau on loan last season, after the goalkeeper was identified by Mauricio Pochettino and Toni Jimenez.
At the end of the loan, Tottenham had an option to make the move permanent, but they tried to talk Espanyol down to a price the club weren’t comfortable with. It still looked like Pau would eventually join Tottenham, at some point before the end of the window, but things are changing and the young goalkeeper has other options.
Pau started Espanyol’s first match of the La Liga season against Sevilla and put in a good performance, and now Betis are coming. The Seville club want Pau to run down his Espanyol contract, and sign a pre-contract agreement with them before moving for free next summer.
It would be no surprise if that mirrors Tottenham plans, and Spurs should perhaps be worried, especially Pochettino and Jimenez who were the youngster’s backers.
Betis’ advantage would be they’d be able to offer Pau first team football, whereas Tottenham will likely still have Hugo Lloris next season. As for Espanyol, if Diego Lopez replaces Pau as first choice again, as many expect, they can probably forget about a renewal.
