Tottenham asked to pay part of £70k-a-week star’s wage to agree loan exit

Follow us on Google Discover

Napoli are interested in potentially signing Giovani Lo Celso, but the Serie A side only want to hire the Argentine on loan and want Tottenham Hotspur to pay a per cent of his wage.

That’s according to Il Mattino, who note the Azzurri’s desire for Spurs to cover some of his salary is delaying negotiations. The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona side are taking a slow approach to discussions, hoping to agree the best terms possible for their other interests.

• Crystal Palace’s 22/23 XI with £20M West Ham target leading 4 new signings
• Jude Bellingham and Celtic ace lead Birmingham XI if they ket their top stars

Antonio Conte has included Lo Celso in his list of stars who can leave north London before the market closes. The Italian tactician does not expect to give the midfielder a substantial presence in his plans during the new season, having returned from a loan spell with Sevilla.

Lo Celso spent the latter half of last term back in La Liga, three years after he left Real Betis for Tottenham. The 26-year-old joined Spurs on an initial loan in 2019, before completing a permanent £27m switch the following January as Christian Eriksen was sold to Inter Milan.

But the move has not proven a huge success for the 39-cap maestro, who is under contract until 2025. After 4,593 minutes from 84 outings in all competitions so far, Lo Celso only has eight goals and provided six assists. He has also only started the game on 50 occasions.

Napoli rivalling Villarreal with interest in taking Lo Celso on loan from Tottenham

Lo Celso enjoyed a prominent presence with Villarreal as the La Liga side reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. He made 22 appearances, starting 17, in all competitions, whilst on loan at the Estadio de la Ceramica. But he still only scored once and assisted one.

Now, Lo Celso could make a permanent transfer to Villarreal if Napoli do not increase their interest in the Tottenham outcast. Marca note he is Unai Emery’s top target and El Submari Groguet have also requested a new loan deal, carrying a €15m (£12.5m) obligation to buy.

Lo Celso also wants to return to the Estadio de la Ceramica, while Tottenham are studying Villarreal’s offer in a positive light. So, Napoli may put themselves out of the race if the Serie A side ask Tottenham to cover some of Lo Celso’s £70k-a-week wage during any loan deal.