Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to sacrifice Giovani Lo Celso in an attempt to sign Juventus forward Dejan Kulusevski.
According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, as relayed by Football Italia, Antonio Conte is ready to raid his former club Juventus in an attempt to sign Dejan Kulusevski. He is believed to be a keen admirer of the young forward, who hasn’t had the best of times since moving to Turin in the summer of 2020.
However, it appears Tottenham are reluctant in meeting Juventus’ €35 million valuation. And in order to sweeten the deal, the north London giants are willing to include Giovani Lo Celso in a potential player plus cash deal.
Spurs’ desire to let go of Lo Celso is hardly surprising either, as the playmaker has had an injury-ravaged spell in North London. Over the past two years, he has had to deal with a myriad of spells on the sidelines, including a hamstring injury at the end of last year that kept him out for almost three months.
Even in the new season, the Argentine international has started in only two Premier League matches, missing a chunk of the campaign due to a knee and shinbone injury. His poor injury record has left Antonio Conte frustrated, with the Italian now prepared to sacrifice the ex-Real Betis star in favour of a move for Kulusevski.
Formerly of Atalanta, the Swedish international hasn’t had a great spell at Juventus himself, netting only eight goals in 68 competitive appearances for the club. He is yet to score a single league goal in 16 matches this term and finds himself way down the pecking order under Massimiliano Allegri.
Kulusevski’s struggles haven’t deterred Tottenham, though, with Conte willing to sign him as a direct competitor for Lucas Moura. The Spurs coach is also aware of the fact that the Juventus youngster can operate as a secondary striker, making him a potential alternative for Harry Kane.
However, it remains to be seen whether Juventus have any desire to sign Lo Celso in the deal to sell Kulusevski. They may certainly have the option to hold out for a cash-only deal instead, with Arsenal, in particular, weighing up an offer of around €30 million.
Lo Celso himself has no shortage of admirers, though, with his former club Real Betis eyeing an ambitious return of the Argentine in January.
