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Lloris is described as a goalkeeper who “boasts lightning reflexes and good decision-making” and is “a formidable opponent in one-on-one situations”. Lloris also “commands his box well”.[104] His playing style, and in particular his speed when coming off his line to anticipate opponents and clear the ball, has led him to be described as a sweeper-keeper in the media. Lloris has been described as an “acrobatic shot-stopper,” due to his athleticism in goal, and is considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, with his former Tottenham manager José Mourinho even describing him as “the best in the Premier League” in 2020. While he has been described in the media as being comfortable with the ball at his feet and generally reliable in his passing, he has also come into criticism due to the large number of high profile errors he has made throughout his career, which often resulted in goals, mainly due to his poor distribution and decision making when attempting to play out from the back. Moreover, he has been accused of being inconsistent, and has also frequently struggled with injuries throughout his career. Notwithstanding his reputation for being prone to errors, Adam Bate of Sky Sports described Lloris as “underrated” in 2020, however, and as an “elite shot-stopper,” due to his agility and ability to produce numerous saves consistently throughout the course of a given season. Lloris joined Olympique Lyonnaise in 2008/2009 season. After another solid season with Nice, speculation arose as to where Lloris would play the following season. He was primarily linked to French club Lyon, who wanted him to replace the departing Grégory Coupet, Milan, who wanted him to replace the Brazilian Dida, and Tottenham Hotspur, who wanted Lloris to replace Paul Robinson. After reportedly coming to personal terms with Milan, Lloris snubbed the Italian club for seven-time Ligue 1 champions Lyon. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani later declared that an agreement had been all but reached stating that Lloris was “practically ours”, but the deal reached a stumbling block when Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati refused a move to Palermo. Lloris explained his decision citing Lyon’s European ambitions, more playing time at Lyon, and in Milan, he was not guaranteed the starting goalkeeper spot.[30] The transfer fee was initially undisclosed, but was later discovered to be priced at €8.5 million. He was promptly handed the number 1 shirt and also the starting goalkeeper position.
