Report: Conte feels Spurs 26-year-old is too weak, player wants to go

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Well, it looks like Antonio Conte has made his mind up about Giovani Lo Celso at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Argentina international has enhanced his reputation in a major way since leaving Tottenham on loan in January.

Lo Celso signed for Villarreal until the end of this season and wound up helping Unai Emery’s side reach a Champions League semi-final, bowing out to Liverpool in midweek.

There’s no doubt that the Argentina international has reminded Lilywhites supporters what a good player he can be.

And Estadio Deportivo has reported that even Conte himself acknowledges that Lo Celso has a lot of ability.

However, the same report claims that the Italian manager does not believe Lo Celso has the physical capabilities needed to succeed in the Premier League.

ED also add that Lo Celso isn’t attracted to the idea of coming back to England and would prefer to stay in Spain, where he feels more ‘protected’.

However, the North Londoners aren’t willing to sell for less than £42 million and Villarreal cannot afford him, meaning a season-long loan return to Emery could be an option.

Positive implication

It’s a little unfortunate that Conte doesn’t want the player back at Tottenham.

That being said, there is a positive here.

If the former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager genuinely doesn’t want Lo Celso back, that’s a long-term decision.

And with Conte linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, why would the 52-year-old be planning for the long term in London if he had intentions on replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the French capital?

If Conte doesn’t want Lo Celso back, he has a clear idea of who and what he wants from a Tottenham player going forward.

And if that’s the case, it bodes extremely well for the club’s chances of keeping Conte beyond this summer, amid the speculation.