This past January transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur decided it was time to part ways with several players, including midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who went on loan to Villarreal.
The Spanish club has an option to buy, but the 25-year-old will have a list of suitors if they do not choose to exercise it. According to Estadio Deportivo, Lo Celso feels like a footballer again at Unai Emery’s Villarreal CF after an inconsistent period at Tottenham.
Furthermore, the Spanish media outlet states that Lo Celso’s continuity at Tottenham does not seem likely; as a result, he will be one of the most desired players for the next summer transfer window.
Lo Celso’s return to La Liga, where he shined with Real Betis, the Argentine midfielder has been a starter in all, but one fixture for The Yellow Submarine has played.
In six La Liga fixtures, Lo Celso averages 65 minutes per game, registering 1.2 key passes per game and winning 66-percent of his ground duels per game since arriving at Villarreal a little over a month ago.
‘Theoretically’ being the operative word!
Simply not a premier league player; or not premier league ready, at least. We seem to acquire more than our share of this type of player, due to our piss poor transfer policies; scouting; profiling; take your pick
Yet theoretically, we are still challenging for a top four finish.
They don’t want to deal with Levy that’s why, his reputation precedes him.
on this weeks episode of the twilight zone…….
Me too, he wasn’t well coached after Pochettino left. I saw him as a younger ‘project’ but the kind of managers and the constant changes of management left him high and dry…
If we’d have offered better personal terms, we’d have gotten him. Zero chance of that though…
Not if we’d have paid him enough and got it done quickly…
How? By being run by a total c*nt…
I think PEH either becomes more of a squad player or goes. He doesn’t offer enough guile. A very decent soldier but he’s a bit like 2021’s Michael Brown. Did a decent job of holding things together in midfield for a bit but not of the level required to really compete at the top level.
I agree, I don’t think he’s particularly suited to the Premiership. That alone does not make him a bad player though…
Doesn’t Foyth play there too?
Quite, he’s actually damaged the brand to quite some extent over the last 3-4 years, with his penny pinching cr*p…
Correct, he’s too much of a big time manager to waste his time on our already 23 year old ‘project’. designed by ENIC to bring the Glory Glory days back! 😆
He’s obviously a decent player, otherwise he wouldn’t be starting every game for a team playing in the Champions League. If he’d gone on loan to The Championship I could see your point a little more. A potentially very good player for me, perhaps not suited so well to the Premiership and clearly not to Conte’s system, which is fairly specific. I’d probably have had Royal and Bergwjin out ahead of him, but I suspect he was on a fair wedge along with Belly so Levy wanted them off the wage bill to bring the two Juventus boys in. Botch’ this ‘Botch’ that… You’re obsessed.
Levy may be good at managing property (not sure about this) but he has no clue how to manage the more valuable intellectual property,
Not even sure what the last part of your sentence means, my dear.
this.
Never said the recruitment was worth two cents, but yeah any fan of Levy for having an opinion based on football.
The Botch reject is sub par. He’s valued at 20 mil which is about right. Villareal are a good team and deserve to be in the CL quarters.. But what has Gio actually done for them? Nothing.. 6 la liga games, 2 CL games and he’s achieved 0 goals and 0 assists….. I’m pretty sure the lad scored one goal all season and that was in the conference league.
Bore off 🔔end. If you think our recruitment is any good then evidence that. It’s idiots like you that keep ENIC bulletproof. Should start calling you Hitchen 2. There’s an opening…..
I agree. Talented managers are in demand. He’s seen enough of our Daniel already. What a stupid caaaant our Chairman is for someone so lauded for his business acumen.
‘Cos we buy crap! Levy out.
Toxic Tottinghams…
Richalison is way too inconsistent for me, we’ve got too many of those already…
Conte will go.
This is true, although I wouldn’t say there’s been any massive upturn in form either… 🤔
GLC might still have something left to give, I mean he’s playing regularly in the Champions League, non of the rest of our lot are presently. Surely though, whatever happens, Belly won’t be coming back. Gil could still come back, certainly not over for him at Spurs.
Yep, Levy will wait so long he’ll end up being sold with 6 months left on his contract for 8m
He was supposed to be a Poch signing so it can all come full circle ;D
It has been his best season at the club. Not saying much….but it is saying a little all the same.
Perhaps. But keeping him around just for that when he hasn’t meaningfully featured in two years is…short-sighted to say the least.
GLC is unlikely to be sold until the next manager comes in so he can be assessed further. Conte won’t be sticking around…
Well, Diaz has hit the ground running at Liverpool and despite fans saying we never had a chance of signing him, that’s not what his father was quoted as saying. I am assuming that you would agree Traore would be capable of playing in the PL. Neves would have been a good signing as would Bellingham have been if available. Vlahovic is a strong no 9 who has slotted in well at Juve. Dennis and Sarr of Watford should both be on the watch list. Levy has never backed the manager’s picks in twenty three years or listened to his DoF. Levy never goes the extra mile to get the right player but haggles to the bitter end, pissing off the selling club and allowing another club to sneak in and sign him. Plus ca change.
Hah, hah, most amusing.
‘for a fee’
I don’t mind Davies but he’s certainly getting a bit long in the tooth, might be the last time to move him for a few. You are right though, Rodon will leave before him
He’s English/homegrown which might be a factor?
Despite the average level of the squad, we aren’t missing any of the players who have left recently.
I hate to tell you but Davies is a regular and won’t be going anywhere, the other ten you mention are possible movers, but one you don’t that is almost certain to go is Rodon.
I think we should go all out to buy this guy. 🤔
You need a bigger postcard Marbs.
Clearly Conte doesn’t rate Gio so if Conte stays Gio will go.
Prediction: whatever Villarreal bids Levy will want more so they will go elsewhere. On the last day of the window we’ll sell him for less than Villarreal initially offered or loan him out somewhere before Conte gets fed up and quits. COYS!
Yeah you keep saying the same recyled narrative. Who do you want to see that is currently playing England or the creme of the crop from any League you think is tough enough. Very few players hit the ground running in England, but the wealthy few can afford to wait them out. How Timo Werner and Zeyech we reported had interest in are doing at Chelsea. It took Partey 2 years to settle at Arsenal. Peppe is a shell, Ferran Torres who was suppose to be next big thing was shipped out. So name a few players you are watching in other league you can say. I would love to have him. Name the players and position you Mr scout would fill as a GM for the manager’s disposal. Or we can. Shout back the manager and own the success and blame levy for the failures.
He’s technically good, but lightweight, needs too much time on the ball and has no end product. I know 10 year olds who can shoot harder. We should look at better players. If Everton are relegated we should get in Richarlison. I think we should get Neves too, he’s too good to stay at Wolves
ENIC brand toothpaste makes one’s teeth fall out – we know this!!!
I’ve been in the camp of Davies critics, but I wouldn’t have a problem with him as a squad player. I just think he gets exposed too often against top sides. Ditto both of our right backs.
Sess and Reg make one decent LWB between them. I think we probably need to sign one reliably decent player there and keep just one of the two with potential. Probably Reg, because what’s the point of Sess if he doesn’t play?
It’s yet more abysmal recruitment from Levy but there is no similarity between the depth of quality in the PL versus La Liga. It’s also a different level of physicality required and we don’t seem to factor that in at all – look at Royal who is a cart horse who also can’t deliver a cross. No fit on any level.
Mate you bang on about Diaz all the time, but it doesn’t matter if we had bid 50m on January the first, Liverpool would have come, matched the bid and he would have gone there.
I’m in full agreement that Levy is a tw*t and ruins most transfers, but not this one. Diaz’s agent would have been straight on the phone to Klopp regardless of what Levy did. It was his “dream” to play for Liverpool, and who can blame him.
Average of 65 minutes. Average player. He would be ok for any team in the bottom half of the premier league.. Sell him, put the funds and wages towards players that Conte wants.
+ spurs never win anything
Agreed, it is all about partnerships, but there is a little more to it. Look at Bellingham…. walked in as a 16 year old and never been out of the team. He would be a first pick for the german team but gets 5 minutes for England and has to watch donkeys play in his place. Still ‘jumpers for goalposts’ in England.
Making too much sense for most experts? But you will never see a post where they outline the brand of football the manager wants to play and who they think will make the best fit. You will hear a lot of back the manager without a suggestion of the type of players they will be comfortable with. For example Conte tried to use Brozovic with Erikssen last year and just like Kane who do not operate well with a second striker, Erikssen like to operate in the final third either as a #10 or 8 on his own. That did not work until Conte came to his senses and play Brozovic deeper creating more space for Erikssen who already has Martinez playing off Lukaku. 4 was more than a crown in the middle. Locelso plays deep for Argentina and is press resistance while he is not a full fledged creator, he does all the hard work and can pick a pass. Not pairing him or Tanguy with a creative mid has shown their deficiencies. If you look at Skipp and Hojberg in their elements playing the holding mid like a fine tuned violin. Asking them to go create is not their forte, but they are good and well liked so the fans do not see how they excel at the set role and lacking in the areas you are asking similar players to be good in. Tactical Vs backing the manager. The first cry you will hear if he goes out and buy a $50m flop, Conte never wanted him in the first place all Levy. If we have a $15m success, that is Conte’s kind of player all day.
He lets him leave for zero? Really?
There might not be many suitors in the league who are realistic tbh, he may have to stay either way
Sell Sess? But…but…you’ll upset Gary Linekar
Zidane didn’t rate him, that’s good enough for me.
Exactly.
IF terms & fee were AGREED as was said, surely a player reneging on a deal there’s nobody else who can be blamed for his (&/or his agent’s) unscrupulous, dishonourable actions?
Harry Kane £50/60m??
There is no chance of that IF he is to leave, Mr. Levy will keep him there rather than give him away.
(Still hoping for an AC/HK pact, both signing new contracts).
There is more to it than saying these players are not up to Premier League. They are actually given positions of responsibility in their club and national teams. Sancho was virtually player of year in Germany and the Dortmund tactics were built around him. Comes to England and he is treated like a novice, at both Man U and England national team. Lo Celso and Gil are straight in as key parts of Valencia and Villareal teams – again fitting the team tactics around them rather than sit them on the bench.
I thought the problem with LoCelso was the fact he made the same mistakes game after game ..taking on too many players ..passing the ball to the opposition far too often leaving our midfield open to the counter…shame I though he was mustard at first.
AND Foyth.
Sess is always injured ..sell him..Reg I don’t know just hasn’t got any expertise about him ..gets forward well but often misses chances or plays a poor ball, doesn’t look up I suppose, occasionally he plays a good ball in but like the entire team what we need is consistency and it isn’t there atm,
All of the above (1-5) is the correct answer well said cheers.
Going off piste for a moment, cue to predictable booing from the stalls, the deadline for bids going in for Chelsea expire tomorrow. Given the rumours that there are four or five willing participants in the auction process, including Americans with NFL connections, it begs the question at to why none of them have approached Enic. After all, our stadium has been built and Chelsea need to enlarge their capacity or build another one on a greenfield site. My somewhat haphazard conclusion to this mystery is that there are several reasons why there does not appear to be any interest. 1. Enic are not sellers. 2. They are asking far too much. 3. They are waiting to secure the naming rights to attain a more attractive price.4. Levy wants to say on as CEO which is an unpalatable proposition for any bidder.5. Levy is such an impossible c**t that nobody wants to negotiate with him.
Answers on a postcard please.
I would have loved to see Diaz at Spurs but the minute Liverpool heard of Spurs interest they brought forward their planned summer move for him. The chairman got played.
Said for a while Davies is further down the list of problems not withstanding getting a left sided CB.
Conte needs a proper box to box midfielder, playmaker will be further down the line. Christian had to rework his game at inter before he was trusted.
Conte wants opportunity created with overloads, hence Davies and Romero are expected to get forward as well.
I don’t believe Lo Celso can hack it in the PL, too fast and physical for him which explains why he was always falling over at the slightest contact. Aside from a few ball carrying dribbles that usually didn’t come to anything, he’s done very little. A lightweight ball carrier in my book. He needs replacing with a true playmaker.
I agree that Davies is a decent member of the squad, versatile enough to play left back or in the left of a three and he strikes me as a good pro. some people want him gone, I see him as the least of our problems and without a squad you’re stuffed. Sure, we need another quality defender, but the dullards that keep banging the drum to get Davies out lack a basic understanding of squad structure…
Lo Celso and Bergwijn aren’t deadbeats, they’ll attract interest and clearly have little future at the club…unless Conte walks and a new manager is consulted. Even then I think they’re off. Sure Levy could get too greedy, and I worry how we’ll shift Sanchez and Ndombele looking at the fees we paid.
Lo Celso and Berg I don’t see the same, they might even be ‘ones that got away’ who look a bargain for the clubs who purchase them down the line.
Winks is a homegrown so he’ll fix a squad out there, but if we ask for a lot more than £10 mill we’re probably in dreaming.
I think Sess and Reggie both have the dreaded ‘p’ word – potential. I think we’ll work on them another season and hope one turns out to be the real deal. Davies could stay as a squaddie true, esp as Rodon should be off.
Right my take:-
Of the players that left I was most disappointed by him.
Dele should have gone 2-3 years ago.
NDonkey never fitted in I cannot remember an ego as big as this twat’s.
Lo Celso a gifted player who never really showed it had numerous injuries and who I think burnt his bridges by going to that game that got stopped. He must be one awkward cuss,
In other news while looking for the Brighton game last night I stumbled on the Yellow Submarine game and the lineup had 3 old boys in it.Incredible
Lo Celso
Capoue
Aurier
He’s more content than style, which is kind of the opposite to Moura or Bergwjin. You need pace but pace without guile or intelligence you can find in League1!
I’m not sure his attitude was that bad, I just think he’d had enough of his career stalling at Spurs because of (injuries aside) the factors in my previous post. Like you say, under Jose he was putting in a shift and had just signed permanently. What happened since? Jose got sacked, Mason, then the weird summer looking for a manager, then Nuno, then Conte who’s specific system he doesn’t fit. Certainly, he probably got p*ssed off with it all. It’s been chaos basically….
Don’t see Davies leaving. Conte is fond of him, and Ben is decent at what he does. Is he a CL player and should he be a starter? Probably neither, but he’s what we’ve got now. A left-footed CB should be a target eventually, with Ben being a reliable squad player.
Sanchez should go. He would make even last night uncomfortable with his erratic nature and ability to create problems where there had been none. Winks too. Offers one genius pass per ten games; otherwise it’s all sideways and backwards.
One of Doherty/Royal (seems like Royal currently) has to go and be replaced with a genuine player, and generally, the full backs have to improve their end product. Reguilon in particular seems completely unable to convert any chances; though the others often don’t even get into the positions he gets into.
We don’t raise the money for the sale of deadbeat players because Levy always asks too much. We have to sell before we buy because “we are different from other clubs”. Whatever monies we do raise , we waste it on either players who are just not good enough or are cheap punts who turn out to be useless. After twenty three years of Levy’s disastrous meddling in the transfer market, we will never win anything with him in charge.
Kulu is quite slow, but is intelligent and has some end product, so he’s a decent signing with a lot of space for improvement.
On the other hand, Diaz would have been a signing that would make everyone sit up and pay attention. A statement of intent and apparently a player who can be a threat to anyone.
Instead, we let him slip to Pool, so they can even afford to rest Salah now, and we’ll probably sign Bale on a free in the summer or something.
GLC got a very tough ride from many fans, even though, unlike a certain Frenchman with a propensity for Nandos, he actually pulled his weight for a while – and I distinctly remember him carrying us at times under Jose.
However, his continuous injuries and attitude problems made all the goodwill evaporate. It’s a shame that it ended the way it did because he is definitely a talent. Just not for us.
He’s a kid and already has presence and great footballing intelligence – so what his game isn’t going to be based around pace…well, pace often fades. Good signing…but to balance the squad we need a better pace merchant than either Moura or Bergwijn
Kulu might be slow but he is tall and has more presens. Eith Diaz we would concede more
If you had read the quotes attributed to his father, he said that although personal terms had been agreed as well as the fee, Levy dithered and procrastinated, probably trying to gazunder the seller nearer the end of the window, allowing Liverpool to nip in and sign him. Furthermore, we had also been long term admirers as well as Liverpool and if Levy had for once in his miserable life acted swiftly and professionally like other properly run clubs, Diaz would have been a Spurs player. He is far mroe effective than Kulu who is the slowest winger I have ever seen.
There was no chance of Diaz signing for Spurs, he was a long term Liverpool target and if there was a choice between the two clubs it was only ending one way.
I’m seeing quite a lot of cash flowing into the club this summer from sales – Bergwijn is off and will fetch £20 mill approx, Lo Celso similar, Gil I think will continue on loan, as will Ndombele, Moura might be sold, Winks will almost certainly be off (£10 mill approx), a whole load like Davies/Gollini/Royale could also leave freeing up wages.
Sanchez is a possibility and would fetch approx £20 mill. Obviously Kane is the one – if he leaves for approx £50-60 mill that money will be there but hopefully he stays as City have Haaland in their sights as he could be one of the best forwards in the world for the net ten years.
So without Kane leaving I’d think there’ll be £50-60 coming in from sales, maybe more. With Kane going that’ll be higher than £100 mill. Either case it will all be about how that money is added to (or not?) and then reinvested in the squad.
The core of the side will remain Lloris, Romero, Dier, one of Hojbjerg or Bentancur ()probably the latter) and Son/Kane (if Kane remains). Key upgrades would be left defence (to replace Davies), a first pick and ideally our best central mid, a ‘creative’ to take the burden off Kane, and a right wing back. Added to that would be a replacement for Kane if he leaves.
I always thought he could have been a good player but he seemed keener to play for Argentina, incidentally where he played better for his country than us , and he was very injury prone. I always got the impression that he hadn’t settled in England, probably a combination of the weather and climate. I suspect that we will lose money on the player and as has been remarked by other contributors, will doubtlessly go on to win numerous trophies. Another sad indictment of our club. How on earth did we manage to fail to buy Diaz and then take Kulu on loan with an option to buy instead?
When he finally leaves us (thank goodness), he’ll win every trophy under the sun.
His signing wasn’t thought about enough so didn’t fit the four managers he worked with at Spurs, so didn’t get the regular game time. Also too many players in his position like Moura, Lamela and Stevie B and then Gil. I always thought there was a player there, yet another victim of the chaos that is FAILURE FC.
Yet he signed permanently while Jose was at the club, although I doubt that was Jose’s call alone.
Someone posted up the amount of trophies players that left Spurs have won since our solitary League Cup in 2008. We are so pathetically run, the football all just showbiz for Daniel…