Espanyol suggest they are already planning life without Tottenham target Pau Lopez

Tottenham Hotspur have received fresh hopes in their pursuit to secure the services of Pau Lopez before the end of the transfer window after Espanyol suggested they are already planning for life without the Spanish under 21 international keeper. The Catalan club's sporting director Angel Gomez, said that they are ready to sign another keeper should Lopez finally moves to White Hart Lane after admitting that negotiations with Spurs are ongoing.

Spurs and Espanyol have been in talks over the keeper since earlier in August after reports in Spain revealed that the Catalans turned down an opening offer from Spurs.

Yet, the North London side refused to give up on the battle, as the signing of the young keeper is a special request from manager Mauricio Pochettino and goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez after they promoted him to the Espanyol's first team during their time at the La Liga side.

AS reported earlier last week that the custodian move to Tottenham was imminent after the clubs reached an agreement in principle for the keeper to spend the 2016-17 campaign on loan at White Hart Lane for a fee of €600,000 (£515,000, $680,000) – with an option to make the move permanent for €7m at the end of the season.

Sources close to negotiations later confirmed to IBTimes UK that the verbal agreement between the clubs existed. However, they added that Espanyol had put the deal on hold due to their difficulties in signing a replacement – with Lopez making the bench during the Friday draw with Malaga.

But the Espanyol sporting director has now given fresh hopes to Tottenham after suggesting that they are closer to find a replacement for Lopez. The chief said that the 21-year-old keeper is an important player for the club but eventually admitted that they had already drawn plans for a life without him.

"At a sporting level he is a goalkeeper who has to be the future and the present of this project. (But) we are in negotiations (with Tottenham) and we have to be prepared in case he leaves," Gomez admitted during a press conference as was quoted by AS. "But now he is a Espanyol player and has to fight to win a place in the line-up. If Pau leaves, we will surely sign another goalkeeper."

Should Lopez finally joins Spurs he would become Pochettino's third signing of the summer following the previous arrivals of Victor Wanyama and striker Vincent Janssen.