Aston Villa have reportedly ended their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Giovani Lo Celso.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa have abandoned their pursuit of Giovani Lo Celso, whose association with Tottenham Hotspur appears to be coming to an end.
The Argentine international joined Spurs from La Liga side Real Betis in 2019 originally on loan before the deal was made permanent for £42.3 million the next year. Despite several opportunities, the 27-year-old has failed to nail down a first-team spot under several managers.
Lo Celso joined La Liga club Villarreal on loan in January 2022, a spell that was extended for the 2022-23 campaign. It was at the Estadio de La Ceramica that he worked under Unai Emery, the current Aston Villa manager.
Emery has turned around Villa’s fortunes and is keen to take them to a higher level this season. They have added Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo (on loan) to an already promising roster.
Signing Lo Celso would have given them another versatile option in the midfield, adding depth given Emi Buendia’s long-term injury setback. An attacking midfielder who can also don the roles of a central midfielder or out wide on the right, he has the technical ability needed to thrive in the right system.
However, the Midlands side have now pulled out of the race for the 27-year-old. With Barcelona also now backing out, the future of Lo Celso in North London remains unclear. He is yet to feature under new manager Ange Postecoglou so far this season, and the future looks bleak.
The Tottenham boss has, however, offered his out of favour players an olive branch claiming that he is ready to work with them. Should he end up staying put, the onus will be on Lo Celso to make the most of the opportunity and rekindle his flagging fortunes.
With just days to go before the summer window slams shut, it remains to be seen if Aston Villa will look at other alternatives to Lo Celso. With UEFA Europa Conference League football on the table, they could do with some added depth in the role.
