Barcelona’s reported interest in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has left one La Liga expert baffled with the Premier League playmaker not fit to lace Gavi’s boots at the Camp Nou.
Now, the World Cup winner may take umbridge with Terry Gibson’s assessment that he has struggled to fill a James Maddison-shaped void in Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield.
Giovani Lo Celso scored excellent, edge-of-the-box goals against Aston Villa and in the 3-3 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad after all. But, on the other hand, his overall impact barely scratches the surface of Maddison’s influence, ineffective in that defeat to West Ham before being relegated back to the bench for the visit of Newcastle United.
And Gibson, the Spurs-mad Spanish football fanatic who began his career in North London, would waste no time in accepting Barcelona’s offer if he was making the decisions in the Tottenham boardroom.
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“That’s the one I keep reading that Xavi wants. As a Spurs fan, honestly, they can have him!,” Gibson tells El Tel and Jon’s La Liga Weekly podcast.
“He’s not going to be a long-term player for Spurs. Maddison is missing, and Lo Celso has had an opportunity to replace him and hasn’t taken it. There’s a big difference between Maddison and Lo Celso.”
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that the Spanish champions will look to bring in a replacement for the injured Gavi during the January window. Gibson, however, cannot see how Lo Celso – despite his impressive track record in La Liga at Real Betis and Villarreal – would be capable of bringing what Gavi does to a Barca engine room lacking in horsepower.
La Liga champions want Gavi replacement
“I’m quite surprised actually that he’s the player Xavi wants. I don’t see how he would fit in,” Gibson adds. “If I were to look for another player, it would be someone a little bit more tenacious. A bit more physical. I see that as a requirement for Barcelona.
“Gavi game them that. He’s not the biggest or the strongest but he’s got a massive heart, he’s tenacious, he gets around the pitch, and he’s got the quality and skill.
“It’s a big ask to find someone to fulfil that job. Lo Celso is a decent player. It probably suits him better playing in La Liga than the Premier League. It would be a fantastic move for him. But Lo Celsi doesn’t look like Gavi.”
Lo Celso eventually joined Tottenham for an eye-watering £55 million back in 2019 following an initial loan spell from Paris Saint-Germain.
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