Director of Euro giants suggests signing £55m Tottenham ace would be ‘a mistake’

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Barcelona will not look to bring in a replacement for the injured Gavi with sporting director Deco ruling out a January deal for Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League benchwarmer Giovani Lo Celso. 

As reports emerged suggesting that Barcelona could look to bring a seldom-seen Argentine back to La Liga during the winter, the phrase ‘one man’s misery is another’s fortune’ came to mind. 

Gavi has all-but certainly played his last game of 2023/24 after rupturing his ACL.  

According to the London Evening Standard, Barcelona had identified a man stuck on the Tottenham Hotspur bench as a potential replacement, Gavi’s long-term absence potentially opening up a window of opportunity for Giovani Lo Celso. 

A window Barca’s sporting director Deco, however, has wasted little time in closing.

Barcelona won’t sign Tottenham ace

“As of today, Gavi is a player who cannot be replaced,” Deco, the former Chelsea, Porto and Portugal playmaker, tells EFE. “There is no player on the market available to do his job. Neither with his mentality, nor with his ability. 

“To argue about replacing Gavi is a mistake. It is a mistake to think that we are going to find a player to replace him. We won’t.

“We are not going to go crazy about Gavi’s injury. It’s sad for him, for us as a club. But we won’t find a replacement.” 

James Maddison’s replacement – not Gavi’s

Lo Celso, who cost Spurs a colossal £55 million after an initial loan move from Real Betis, has struggled to recapture the form of his early Jose Mourinho days in recent seasons. Despite earning Ange Postecoglou’s admiration in pre-season, the one-time Paris Saint-Germain youngster has made only three league appearances so far under the former Celtic boss. 

There should, at least, be opportunities coming Lo Celso’s way in the coming weeks.

The Rosario-born 27-year-old is the man with the most to benefit from an injury which will keep James Maddison out for the forseable future, albeit not quite as long as the stricken Gavi.