Tottenham reach verbal agreement with Espanyol for Pau Lopez

Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their pursuit for Espanyol goalkeeper Pau Lopez in the wake of an injury to Hugo Lloris, and are said to have agreed a season-long loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign.

According to Spanish publication Sport, Spurs will pay the La Liga club €600,000 to bring the goalkeeper to White Hart Lane on a temporary basis but will have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season for a fee of around €7m (£6m, $8m). The two clubs are said to have reached a verbal agreement, which is likely to be formalised in the coming days.

Mauricio Pochettino is said to be keen to bring him to White Hart Lane in the aftermath of Lloris' injury, which has ruled out the Spurs skipper for four weeks, and also as further competition for Michel Vorm, who is currently the second choice at Tottenham. The Spain U21 international, who came through the ranks at Espanyol since joining as a 12-year-old, made 38 appearances in all competitions last season keeping seven clean sheets, and has also been called up to the senior national team for a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Lopez's arrival, however, is likely to put Vorm's future in doubt. It is unlikely that he will want to compete for a place on the bench with the Spaniard, who is leaving a regular first-team role behind in Spain.

Meanwhile, Lloris will miss key clashes for Tottenham during his injury absence, mainly their match against Liverpool at White Hart Lane on 27 August. He is expected to return for their clash against Sunderland on 18 September.

"Following further assessment and scans of the left hamstring injury sustained by Hugo Lloris in the 1-1 draw at Everton on Saturday, we can confirm he is expected to be out of action for around four weeks," a statement from the club read.

"Our captain left the field during the first-half at Goodison Park and our medical team will continue to monitor his progress during his rehabilitation to determine when he will be ready to return to training."