The Argentine could become pivotal.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou seemingly has a plan for midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, as journalist Paul Brown shares some detail.
What happened to Giovani Lo Celso?
Signing from Real Betis on a permanent deal under Jose Mourinho in January 2020, Lo Celso has endured a mixed Spurs career since.
The Argentine midfielder, who clinched a World Cup winner’s medal with his country in Qatar last year, has gone out on two separate loan spells to Villarreal – where he featured regularly over the 21/22 and 22/23 seasons.
There were reports that Lo Celso could’ve been sold over the summer transfer window, as former side Betis even displayed a real interest in bringing the South American back to Spain once again.
However, new Spurs boss Postecoglou is a fan of the midfielder, as he explained earlier in the summer. When asked about reports in La Liga linking him with a return to the league, Postecoglou explained:
“You don’t have to go to Spain mate, 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.”
The 27-year-old, before a recent injury, started to feature more and more under Postecoglou – playing 16 league minutes before starting their Carabao Cup second round clash against Fulham last week (WhoScored).
The tables are seemingly turning for Lo Celso, with reporter Brown telling GiveMeSport that the player is set to feature regularly in Tottenham’s plans moving forward.
“Yeah, there’s been some interest in Spurs’ players,” said Brown on deadline day.
“I know there are several clubs that wanted Lo Celso; it seems pretty clear that he’s sticking around. We asked Postecoglou again today and the message was that while he’s got a small injury, he’s considered part of the squad now and quite a key member of it.
“He seems to be considered now a kind of backup or substitute option for Maddison in those areas of the pitch, so I think he’s going to get minutes this season and will stay.”
What’s been said about Giovani Lo Celso?
It appears Lo Celso has a chance to resurrect his Spurs career after failing to impress in recent campaigns.
When he wasn’t out on loan, the Argentine’s performances in a Lilywhites jersey attracted criticism from members of the media like Spurs pundit John Wenham – who once called him a “passenger” during Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure in charge.
“One player I really want to talk about is Lo Celso,” said Wenham to Football Insider after a Lo Celso performance against Man United.
“He came in against Man United which was another baffling decision by Nuno.
“Ndombele had been playing better than he previously had. He decided very randomly to bring in Lo Celso.
“He was awful and did absolutely nothing. Poor set pieces, poor pass completion, he was an utter passenger.
“It was another poor performance from him. Under Conte, he has everything to prove to convince him he’s worth keeping around. Conte won’t suffer fools.”
Following some of his past outings, Lo Celso may now have a chance to turn his fortunes around under Postecoglou.
