Fabrizio Romano gives transfer update on Tottenham Hotspur loanee Giovani Lo Celso
According to football journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Tottenham Hotspur loanee Giovani Lo Celso has impressed his new side Villarreal, who are said to be ‘more than happy’ with his performances on the pitch.
The Argentine was last seen turning out for the La Liga side in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League last night, helping Villarreal beat Bayern Munich 1-0 as they picked up a crucial home victory.
The on-loan Villarreal star played all ninety minutes of the match, as he put in a solid shift in midfield against the German giants. His new Spanish side will be hoping that he can replicate his display against Bayern in the next leg of the fixture as well.
Lo Celso joined the Yellow Submarines during the winter transfer window in January, seeking a loan move away from Spurs after he fell down the pecking order in midfield and was deemed surplus to requirements for the remainder of the campaign.
Villarreal keen on keeping midfielder
The 25-year-old is expected back at his parent club in the summer when his loan in Spain expires. The Argentina international nearly joined Olympique Lyonnais in January, but Villarreal manager Unai Emery played a key role in convincing the star to pick them instead.
Now, Romano confirmed that the La Liga side wants to retain his services for next season as well. Given that the loan deal between the two clubs did not include a buy option for the player, they plan to open talks with the Lilywhites to extend his stay at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Having signed for the Premier League side permanently from Real Betis in 2020 after impressing on loan at Spurs initially, Lo Celso has not had the same impact he did with his former employers in England.
The midfielder struggled to integrate himself into the team whilst playing under Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Antonio Conte at Tottenham, which led to the player seeking opportunities elsewhere in January.
A return to La Liga seemed to do the trick, with the midfielder once again picking up the same form that convinced the English club to sign him. Emery seems to be highly impressed with the star, having convinced him to move to Villarreal.
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Now, we could be set to lose Lo Celso to the Spanish side once again – although it is not known whether they intend to open talks about an extended loan, or a permanent transfer. In a best-case scenario for us, the Argentine opts to play for Tottenham next season and continues his current form into the new campaign as we look to compete for trophies.
Alternatively, some could argue that this provides us with a chance to garner some financial gain out of a player who was deemed expandable by the club this winter. It remains to be seen what happens with this particular, but with Rodrigo Bentancur’s form, it would be even harder for Lo Celso to cement a place for himself at N17.
