Sevilla president Jose Castro has labelled Tottenham Hotspur’s Giovani Lo Celso ‘a magnificent player’, speaking to ABC de Sevilla, though he refused to be drawn on whether he wants to sign the Premier League misfit.
There was a feeling, at Tottenham, that things had been allowed to slide for far too long. A malaise descending into mediocrity. A squad chock-full of underperforming, overpaid players falling well short of their potential. Spurs were, to put it simply, stuck in their comfort zone.
So who better than Antonio Conte to shake things up and provide the rudest of awakenings? The footballing equivalent of a 7am alarm after a night of heavy drinking.
Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli, Bryan Gil and Pierluigi Gollini have been shipped out already, either on loan or permanently, while Steven Bergwijn, Joe Rodon, Emerson Royal and Harry Winks could also be shoved out the door.
According to The Athletic, Lo Celso’s impressive form on loan at Villarreal has not changed Conte’s mind about a player who has flattered to deceive after an excellent debut season in North London. Tottenham will not stand in the Argentine’s way if a bid in the region of £18 million lands on their doorstep (Fabrizio Romano).
Has Giovani Lo Celso played his final game for Totteham Hotspur?
But, some 12 months after Erik Lamela swapped North London for Andalusia, could Sevilla return to a familiar hunting ground?
“Lo Celso? He’s a magnificent player,” says Castro.
Perhaps aware that he’d just poured a whole bucket of fuel on the fire, the Sevilla chief then rowed back a bit, pointing out that he is not in control of incomings at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
“But that doesn’t mean anything. I’m just saying he’s a good player. That’s it. The signings, (they’re) for Monchi (Sevilla’s sporting director).”
Villarreal would relish the chance to bring Lo Celso back to the Ceramica, especially after the former Real Betis talisman played a major role in their journey to the Champions League semi-finals.
“We’ve not sat down with them to talk about anything for now,” he says. “We know that the player is open to staying, but we cannot sit down to talk about an operation like this without having exits.”
“As I told you, it is a very complicated operation. They spent a lot of money on the player. Without sales and with the team we have, we are not in a position to carry out this operation.
“He is a great player who has been very happy here and we have been very happy with him. But he is a Tottenham player. It is true that we would like him to be able to stay here but it’s very complicated.”
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