There has been a double update on Tottenham Hotspur: Giovani Lo Celso reportedly prevented a summer move and Antonio Conte a reunion with some other player.
Lo Celso scored two goals and two assists in 24 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham last season. However, only 4 of those outings lasted an hour or more, as Ange Postecoglou liked other central midfielders and instead used Lo Celso largely as a substitute.
The 28-year-old knows he is not high in Postecoglou’s hierarchy and is looking to leave Tottenham this summer so he can start at another club. In fact, TEAMtalk revealed on June 27 that Lo Celso had been informed that he was free to sign for a new team, as the sale of him would bring a significant budget to Spurs.
Lo Celso may not be a Spurs player, but he is still a highly sought-after player across Europe, having inspired Real Betis in the past.
In the past, sources have shown TEAMtalk that the Argentine would prefer to return to Spain, where he played for Betis and Villarreal, however, recent reports recommend that another move could be on the way.
Italian side Lazio are in talks with Lo Celso, considering him a potentially vital addition to their squad.
According to the latest reports in Italy, Lazio have discovered that Spurs are willing to settle for a discounted offer for Lo Celso, potentially as low as €10m (£8. 4m). And that’s despite the north London club first paying £27 million for him in January 2020.
Signing the overseas 57-cap for just £8m would be a deal from Lazio, but they want to convince the player to move first.
Lo Celso is reported to have recently moved to Serie A. He is due to be paid more than €5m (£4. 2m) per year, which equates to around £81,000 a week.
That’s a lot for English teams like Spurs, who lately pay the playmaker £100,000 a week. However, it is claimed that Italian teams such as Lazio see this as a far-fetched demand, as they have the finances of their Premier League counterparts.
Lo Celso is the only Spurs player facing an uncertain future. Winger Dejan Kulusevski seems to be the target of several other teams.
On Friday, Aston Villa were expected to cause a surprise by opening negotiations for the trendy 24-year-old. But the Italian press claim that former Spurs boss Conte is fit to replace Villa with Kulusevski.
Conte has a smart date with Kulusevski and Napoli hopes this can be used to help them close a deal.
The Swede may be convinced to return to Italy, having played in the country for Atalanta, Parma and Juventus before joining Spurs in January 2022.
Spurs paid £26m to sign Kulusevski permanently, following an initial loan spell he is now valued at around £46m.
Due to the monetary restrictions affecting Italian clubs, Napoli would have to sell the most sensible player before they could launch a truly extensive offer for Kulusevski.
Napoli will be hoping that the possible mass move of Victor Osimhen to Paris Saint-Germain will give them enough money to sign a new striker and also Kulusevski.