Heurelho Gomes accuses Tottenham of unfair treatment by not letting him join Hoffenheim for less than £7.8m

Gomes also claims that current Number One Hugo Lloris wanted to leave the club when Andre Villas-Boas stuck with Brad Freidel in the starting line-up

Heurelho Gomes (GETTY IMAGES)

Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has accused club officials of treating him unfairly after they refused to let him leave for less than the £7.8m they paid for him despite not playing for Spurs since November 2011.

Having signed from PSV Eindhoven in 2008, Gomes took some time to settle in to life at White Hart Lane, and was eventually relegated to second choice after the 2011 summer arrival of Brad Freidel. Just 12 months later, the signing of France international and current Number One Hugo Lloris seemed to confirm that his spell with the club was over.

He spent the latter half of last season on loan with Bundesliga club Hoffenheim, and speaking to the Evening Standard, the stopper complained that Spurs had refused a permanent move when the German side attempted to sign him.

“I often tried to leave Tottenham but they have always stopped me going,” he said. “I had several proposals but they were insufficient for the club. It’s very complicated. They want to recover the  €10million they invested in me five years ago. It is not possible. I am ready to go to Germany. Hoffenheim wanted to buy me permanently but Tottenham blocked the move for financial questions. I always tried to leave but Tottenham have never helped me.”

Gomes lost his status as Spurs’ No1 goalkeeper following a string of high-profile errors. In the season Friedel arrived, Gomes played just four games for Spurs — three in the Europa League and one in the League Cup.

In the summer of 2012, Andre Villas-Boas replaced Harry Redknapp as manager but Gomes has yet to make an appearance for the Portuguese.

“When the coach changes, you think positive things will happen to you,” said  the 32-year-old. “It has not been the case. The fact he speaks Portuguese did not change anything for me. He couldn’t help me any more, I regret it. I am part of the club’s history. When we played the quarter-finals of the Champions League, I was the goalkeeper. In two years since, I have hardly played.”

One of Villas-Boas’s signings in his first summer at the club was Lloris but the £8m goalkeeper had to wait until that November to become  first choice with  the manager initially preferring Friedel.

Gomes revealed the France No1’s frustrations, telling sambafoot.com Lloris had even considered leaving.

“I was surprised by the behaviour of Tottenham,” said Gomes. “Lloris told me he wanted to change clubs. He told me if he had known that I stayed, he would not come. He had a hard time. Lloris is a spectacular goalkeeper.”