“He’s no longer going, he has saved his Tottenham career”: Ange Postecoglou claims he’s no longer offloading 27-year-old star this summer after what he did against Nottingham Forest [Full story link in comment]
Giovani Lo Celso may have just saved his career at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after he came on as a substitute during a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday (7 April).
The 27-year-old has experienced a mixed spell with Tottenham since signing from Real Betis back in 2019, joining Villareal on loan twice in that time, making 102 Spurs appearances over five years.
With his current contract expiring in 2025, as per BBC Sport, Lo Celso must prove to Ange Postecoglou that he is a good fit for the project being built in North London.
The Spurs manager recently spoke about the Argentine’s future at the club, quoted by Football London as saying: “There has been a few in that boat where they just haven’t had a real good run in terms of there has been injury disruptions.
“And other times when he has been fit, other players have played in his position, but I still think Gio’s been good for us this year.
“Through that middle patch when we had a lot of injuries, he really stood up for us and then got his own injury of course. He made a real impact against Luton at the weekend and it really helped us get over the line.
“Look, he’s a fantastic player, but with all these things you’ve got to keep the perspective that we’re at a big club, we’re going to have a big squad and if it is not Gio, it will be someone else that will play that role next year.”
Though it started out as a really positive outlook on Lo Celso’s prospects at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his final words could suggest that the player will not be at the club for much longer.
Could Giovani Lo Celso stay at Tottenham under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou?
Postecoglou may want to rethink his plan for the midfielder, however, having impressed as a late substitute to help see out the 3-1 win against Forest on Sunday.
Having replaced Timo Werner, who is also experiencing criticism, Lo Celso maintained a 100 per cent pass accuracy in midfield while also boasting a 100 per cent accuracy in long balls. [FotMob]
Many would not expect the 27-year-old to be so aggressive in the middle of the park, though he left the field winning 100 per cent of his tackles and 80 per cent of his ground duels.
This should come as no surprise, though, with the midfielder ranking in the top 96 percentile for tackles per 90 minutes. [FBref]
He was also fouled three times against a Forest side hoping to hit Tottenham on the counterattack, pushing for a way back into the game.
Despite only making 18 appearances in all competitions this season, it appears that Lo Celso is extremely under-utilised when he is fully fit.
Compared to midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, Lo Celso ranks in the top 97 percentile for assists per 90 minutes, as well as the top 94 percentile for shot-creating actions. [FBref]
https://x.com/AlasdairGold/status/1776241933838356603
His passing is even more impressive, ranking in the top 99 percentile for attempted passes and progressive passes, and the top 98 percentile for passing accuracy.
Before any decisions are finalised on Lo Celso’s future at Tottenham, Postecoglou may want to rethink his latest comments about the midfielder.
