LAFC sign World Cup winner Hugo Lloris to one-year contract

LAFC have confirmed the signing of veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on a free transfer from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Lloris spent the last 11 seasons as Spurs' captain, helping the North London consistently qualify for the UEFA Champions League. He now joins the 2022 MLS Cup winners for the 2024 season with an option for 2025 and 2026.

The Nice, France native departs the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after making 444 appearances across all competitions after joining from Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon in August 2012.

The 37-year-old shot-stopper didn't appear once under first-year head coach Ange Postecoglou in the 2023/24 Premier League season but remained on the books being under contract through the end of the campaign.

"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 & general manager John Thorrington said in a club release.

"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. I would like to thank Tottenham for their collaboration, and I join all of Los Angeles in extending a warm welcome to Hugo, his wife Maine, and their three children to LAFC."

Lloris last played for Tottenham during their 6-1 humiliation at Newcastle, where he was substituted off at halftime due to injury while his side were 5-0 down at St James' Park. During his time at Spurs, Lloris kept 151 clean sheets while conceding 508 goals across all competitions.

The Black and Gold are getting a veteran goalkeeper that is still capable of pulling of an incredible save here and there, and he brings plenty of experience to bring them back to MLS Cup glory after they fell just short in 2023.

Lloris boasts 70 Champions League appearances for Spurs and Lyon, as he fell just short of lifting the coveted trophy in the 2018/19 season as Tottenham fell 2-0 to Liverpool in the final. Prior to his decade spent at Tottenham, Lloris rose through the OGC Nice ranks to make 78 appearances with the first team before joining Lyon in July 2008.

With Lyon, Lloris picked up two pieces of silverware in the form of the 2011/12 French Cup and the 2012/13 French Super Cup.

In 725 club appearances, Lloris has conceded 795 goals while keeping 248 clean sheets.

At the international level, Lloris was an icon for the French national team. He suited up for two-time World Cup winners 145 times between 2008 and 2022, as he ended his international career as the nation's all-time appearances leader. Lloris kept 63 clean sheets and conceded 120 goals as France's starting goalkeeper.

Lloris was also key to France's 2018 World Cup triumph, as Les Bleus defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final to claim their first World Cup since 1998.

Lloris' France qualified for their second straight World Cup Final in 2022 against Argentina and Lionel Messi, but they came up short in their quest to go back-to-back losing 3-3 (4-2) in penalty kicks after coming back from 2-0 down.

With Lloris expected to take on the No. 1 shirt with LAFC, Maxime Crepeau's exit seems more and more likely as the club continue to reassess their squad ahead of the 2024 season.