“We are not going anywhere anymore”: Tottenham duo now set to obstruct January transfer deal and do Ange Postecoglou a huge favour amid several injury blows.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou may have to put the brakes on one of his players getting a dream move in January. Giovani Lo Celso is reportedly a wanted man, and a long-term injury to Barcelona wonderkid Gavi has seen the Catalan giants ramp up their preparation to make a move for the Spurs midfielder.
Patience has been a key feature of Lo Celso’s stop-start spell in north London. Rarely a nailed-on starter, the Argentine was sent on loan to Villarreal for 18 months before returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to play back-up for James Maddison.
But with Maddison out until January, Lo Celso finally has a chance to impress under Postecoglou, a manager who has brought the best out of several previously underperforming Spurs stars. Barca could yet throw a spanner in the works, however.
According to Mundo Deportivo, La Liga have approved Barcelona’s request for more room on the wage bill to replace Gavi, who is ruled out for the remainder of the season.
As a result, manager Xavi has been given the ‘green light’ to move for the 27-year-old in January. Losing Lo Celso would be a crushing blow for Postecoglou, seeing as he is the only natural cover for Maddison in the No 10 role.
Midfield duo Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr could therefore do their manager a huge favour. Bissouma, a Mali international, and Sarr of Senegal are both due to miss the start of 2024 while competing in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Their absence may just give Postecoglou license to put his foot down and prevent Lo Celso from leaving mid-way through the campaign. Although yet to establish himself as a reliable performer in north London, the depth provided by the Argentina international could prove crucial in maintaining Spurs’ top-four charge.
In deputising for Maddison, Lo Celso has huge boots to fill between now and January. The Englishman immediately took a leadership role upon signing from Leicester City in the summer, and repaid Postecoglou’s faith by registering eight goal contributions in 11 Premier League matches.
At no point in his Tottenham career has Lo Celso registered that level of output, but a run of domestic action over the coming weeks will present him with an opportunity to show fans what he is capable of.
After all, the Londoners forked out a whopping £55million to sign him from Real Betis back in 2019 – initially on a temporary basis before making the move permanent – having shone for the La Liga side on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
