Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is reportedly on his way to La Liga outfit Villarreal on loan for the rest of the season.
According to talkSPORT, Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is closing in on a move to La Liga side Villarreal on the January transfer deadline day.
Lo Celso arrived at Tottenham in 2019 from Real Betis. Initially signed on loan, the Argentine playmaker’s transfer was made permanent in 2020 to replace Christian Eriksen, who left for Inter Milan. However, the 25-year-old has failed to make the kind of impact expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, often struggling with injury problems.
To date, Lo Celso has made just 55 Premier League appearances for the Lilywhites, managing a paltry return of one goal and three assists. Given his struggles, the midfielder has hardly been a regular under new manager Antonio Conte.
And now, an exit beckons for the Argentine, at least temporarily, as he is set to sign for Villarreal. As per the report, Lo Celso was a target for Ligue 1 giants Lyon who wanted him to replace Bruno Guimaraes, a Tottenham target who ended up joining Newcastle United. However, the Yellow Submarine have come out on top in the race to sign the midfielder.
Lo Celso will now be returning to Spain for the rest of the season and will be reunited with former Spurs teammate Juan Foyth, who joined Villarreal in 2021. The Argentine international will likely be pairing up with another ex-Tottenham star, Etienne Capoue, in the middle of the park for the Yellow Submarine.
Lo Celso will not be the only midfielder leaving the north London outfit on the transfer deadline day, with reports claiming that Tanguy Ndombele is also on his way out. The Frenchman is set to return to former club Lyon on loan for the rest of the season, with an option to make the transfer permanent.
With two midfield vacancies set to be created, Tottenham are working to sign Rodrigo Bentancur as a replacement to plug in the gaps. The Uruguayan is expected to arrive at the club in the coming hours, along with fellow Juventus teammate Dejan Kulusevski.
