Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has arrived in Spain ahead of a move to Villarreal, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The lowdown: Surplus to requirements
Having returned to north London for pre-season following a short-term loan spell at Villarreal last season, Lo Celso has failed to suitably impress Antonio Conte and has once again been made available this summer.
The 26-year-old Argentina international made 21 appearances for the La Liga outfit from January, playing a pivotal role in the run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
However, having been left out of the opening day squad for the victory over Southampton and unlikely to feature against Chelsea today, Lo Celso now appears to be nearing a switch back to Spain…
The latest: ‘Final decision’
Taking to Twitter, reputable transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano has shared some new information regarding the 39-cap ace’s move away from Tottenham.
He said: “Gio Lo Celso is already in Spain to complete his move to Villarreal on loan from Tottenham. Deal won’t include a buy option – but Spurs will have the chance to interrupt the loan in January in case of permanent bid #Villarreal Final decision will be always up to the player.”
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The verdict: Perfect sense
Omitted from the touring squad during pre-season, it’s evidently apparent that Conte has no place in his plans for Lo Celso moving forwards and, therefore, sanctioning another loan exit, with a potential to sell in January makes an abundance of sense for Spurs.
FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Overall, the Argentinian – who was dubbed ‘technically gifted’ by fellow Lilywhites’ outcast Harry Winks in 2020 – has scored eight times and provided six assists in 84 outings for the north Londoners, a far cry from the 22 goal involvements in 45 appearances that earned him the move from Real Betis.
Holding an estimated market value of £19.8m and under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), Fabio Paratici will be confident of recouping a healthy fee when it comes to selling Lo Celso, particularly should the attacking midfielder enjoy a fruitful spell in Spain.