Giovani Lo Celso has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, with Napoli and Real Betis interested.
Giovani Lo Celso is reportedly a target for Serie A champions Napoli and La Liga club Real Betis. However, a report from Evening Standard claims that Tottenham are now uninterested in selling the Argentine international midfielder, especially after the recent comments from the manager Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian manager recently revealed that he enjoys the way the Argentine playmaker plays his game. And the 27-year-old seems to be enjoying at Tottenham during the pre-season as well. Ange Postecoglou prefers free-flowing attacking football and Lo Celso is certainly a good fit for that style.
The Tottenham Hotspur boss said, “You can just ask me. Yeah, I like Gio. He fits the way we play. I enjoy working with him and he seems to enjoy working with us.”
It is hardly surprising that the manager has been impressed with the Tottenham midfielder during pre-season. Lo Celso has previously proven his quality in La Liga, and he certainly has the attributes to make an impact in the Premier League in the right system.
It will be interesting to see if Tottenham can convince the midfielder, who joined them for €32 million, to stay at the club and establish himself as a key player next season. Tottenham need more attacking quality and Lo Celso will add goals and creativity to the side.
The 27-year-old midfielder is versatile enough to operate in a number of positions. He can play as the central attacking midfielder as well as a winger. If Tottenham can promise him regular game time, the World Cup winner could be tempted to stay in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Napoli and Real Betis could definitely use more attacking edge in the final third, and the Tottenham midfielder could prove to be a useful acquisition. So it is hardly surprising why the La Liga club and the Serie A champions want to secure Lo Celso’s services.
The midfielder was on loan at La Liga club Villarreal last season, and he was linked with a permanent move to them as well. Meanwhile, Premier League rivals Aston Villa have been linked with the player as well because of Lo Celso’s links with Unai Emery. The Argentine played under the Spanish manager during their time together at Villarreal.
It will be interesting to see how the situation develops over the next few weeks. The Argentine midfielder will have to face competition from summer signing James Maddison. The former Leicester City midfielder is expected to be the first-choice attacking midfielder next season.
So it will be interesting to see how Postecoglou accommodates both playmakers in his starting lineup. The 27-year-old will not want to sit on the bench at Tottenham every week, and Spurs will have to find a solution if they want to keep the player.