Should Tottenham Hotspur Target Iker Casillas If Hugo Lloris Leaves?

It is a golden age for the Goalkeepers' Union. Not for a long time has there been a period when so many of its members are pivotal to the summer's transfer storylines. If ever.

Tottenham Hotspur will not take any satisfaction in their participation in the position's prominent place in offseason gossip and discussion. Real Madrid's reported interest in Manchester United's David De Gea has led to their No. 1, Hugo Lloris, supposedly being identified as a replacement by the Red Devils.

It's a convoluted situation which, as the Telegraph's Matt Law detailed this week, has continued speculation about the move jarring, with supposed assertions from the Tottenham hierarchy that the Frenchman is going nowhere.

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The uncertainty over De Gea's destination means things remain up in the air for the time being—the Guardian's Sid Lowe is among those now reporting of a possible exchange for Real's Sergio Ramos. One of the more surprising, albeit somewhat logical offshoots of all this is the suggestion Spurs could target Real and Spain's legendary 'keeper Iker Casillas.

De Gea moving back to La Liga would mean the 34-year-old would likely be surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu. Marca's Carlos Carpio believes Casillas' agent Carlo Cutropia is already in contact with a number of potential suitors, with Spurs supposedly one of them.

Plenty still needs to happen for Casillas to end up at White Hart Lane for the start of 2015-16.

Despite the De Gea talk casting a shadow over him, the one-club man admitted in May it would be difficult to leave the Spanish capital, per AS. With over 15 years as as a genuine member of the senior squad, Casillas is an indelible part of the club's history and arguably its very fabric.

Spurs may well stand their ground over Lloris anyway. But were the situation to change, the four years remaining on his contract and chairman Daniel Levy's reputation as a tough negotiator would surely mean he does not go cheap.

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Spurs also already have a capable replacement in Michel Vorm. While the Netherlands international did not get much opportunity to test himself this past season, his time at Swansea City more than proved he can cut it in the Premier League. Indeed, his signing very much felt like a precaution in the event of Lloris leaving.

Yet, if Spurs end up without a goalkeeper who has been nothing short of excellent for them these past three years, Casillas may be the ideal replacement.

With multiple club and international honours, he would bring big-name cachet immediately. An important and instant riposte to the inevitable Lloris-related accusations over a lack of ambition as they are likely to get.

Like Lloris, there is only so much Casillas could do behind a defence that has struggled with damaging consistency and concentration issues. But keeping an experienced and talented shot-stopper behind them would be vital to any hopes of improvement (although, again, Vorm would also offer that).

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That Casillas may even be available, or open to a move, is testament to a change in his own circumstances. His stock has certainly been higher.

The unease of his relationship with former boss Jose Mourinho—which Casillas denies in the aforementioned interview, but it was at least evident to the extent the Portuguese was willing to stick with Diego Lopez ahead of him at times—has given way to a disintegrating rapport with the fickle Bernabeu faithful (using the latter term very loosely).

Casillas is still performing better than the jeering portion of the crowd would have you believe. He certainly played a big part in the 2-0 Real win over Deportivo La Coruna this writer covered in February. Nonetheless, the downgrading of the veteran Casillas' status is occurring, and it has also extended to the Spanish national team.

A move away from Madrid would be something of a culture shock for sure. There are no guarantees how he would respond to testing himself away from his home for the first time in his career.

You suspect, however, one of the world's best goalkeepers for so long would not immediately crumble. Indeed, the challenge of helping Mauricio Pochettino's aspiring Tottenham project—marshaling and supporting a talented young team that is still learning—may be just what is needed to reinvigorate Casillas professionally.

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The Premier League would provide no shortage of worthy adversaries either. He would be up against top-class strikers he has come up against for club and country before, including Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa and Robin van Persie.

So long as Casillas displays the requisite effort, Spurs supporters would back him in a way some at his current club have not of late. The expectation levels are nowhere near the same, of course. But the removal of a good degree of stress would surely compensate for adjustments to the likelihood of winning silverware as regularly as he has in Spain.

Casillas-to-Tottenham rumours may die off as quickly as they have emerged. The ideal situation for the north Londoners would be that Lloris remains to carry on his good work.

But if change to the situation of so many of these goalkeepers and their clubs is as inevitable as the speculation suggests, Spurs ending up with Casillas would be a heck of an alternative. It would be tougher for the player himself, but a fresh start could be a good thing for him.