Villarreal not the only option for Tottenham man as new Spanish suitors emerge for Lo Celso

A report in Spain claims Giovani Lo Celso will have options to return there next season if Antonio Conte does not include him in his Tottenham plans..

Lo Celso, 26, is close to completing a six-month loan deal with LaLiga side Villarreal. He was loaned to The Yellow Submarine after slipping down the pecking order at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Argentina international made two starts among nine Premier League appearances for Spurs in the first half of 2021-2022.

That prompted him to look for a winter exit and the Spanish outfit were happy to accommodate. It has been a successful temporary stint at Estadio de la Ceramica.

He has made 10 league starts and enjoyed 15 outings, impressing manager Unai Emery. And the South American has helped Villarreal to seventh in the Spanish top-flight standings.

He also played six times as Emery’s men reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. They found Liverpool too good over the two legs but it has been an impressive stint for Lo Celso.

He will return to north London in the summer and push for a place in Conte’s side for 2022-2023. It was recently claimed that Villarreal want to sign the talented midfielder on permanent terms when his loan deal expires.

Fichajes have backed up that report, suggesting Villarreal will look to do a deal in the summer. But they have also thrown the name of former club Real Betis into the ring as a potential suitor for the star.

However, the report states that any deal for Lo Celso would be ‘complicated’ due to the finances involved. Spurs are likely to place a hefty price tag on the schemer’s head which might be out of the duo’s range.

Jury out on Lo Celso

Lo Celso joined Tottenham in the summer of 2019 but has never been able to command a regular starting berth. He made just 28 league starts among 55 appearances and lacked consistency.

A few pundits feel he has been harshly treated by the capital outfit and it was a mistake to let him leave in January. There is still time for the former Paris Saint-Germain star to come good at Spurs.

But it may be that they look to cash in on him in the off-season, with other clubs likely to enter the picture.