On Wednesday, Estadio Deportivo reported Real Betis ‘have called’ Tottenham Hotspur’s Giovani Lo Celso regarding a potential return to the club. The La Liga side have also called Spurs.
That’s according to today’s ABC Sevilla, who state they contacted the north London club ‘weeks ago’ about their desire to sign the 27-year-old on a loan deal.
Lo Celso spent one season at Betis before moving to Tottenham [initially on loan in 2019] for a deal worth around €48m. The report says this was the record sale for the Spanish club and that also impacts his potential return because Spurs don’t want to give him away.
It’s said the Premier League side want €25m and are ready to let him leave permanently or on loan with an obligation to buy. This figure, for now, is ‘unattainable’ and makes the operation ‘unfeasible’ for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
The Argentina international is currently part of Tottenham’s pre-season squad in Australia, but it’s believed he hasn’t convinced Ange Postecoglou.
The newspaper states the manager has decided to make him available in the market and a few clubs, including Napoli, have asked Spurs about him.
Should Lo Celso fail to find a new club before mid-August, ABC Sevilla say Real Betis will then have an option to sign him on loan with or without a purchase option.
That’s because they believe Tottenham will have to be ‘more flexible, although it won’t be easy’. Whether that will be the case remains to be seen, and it’s a dangerous game of patience for Betis.
