There’s Only One Spurs’ Player Of The Year – And It’s Not Lo Celso – am I wrong? [opinion]

Maybe the depression of lockdown or the cynicism of self-isolation is making me miserable. But I think we need to talk about Giovani Lo Celso.

Some fans are lauding the 23-year-old Argentine as Tottenham’s runaway Player of the Year and, while his recent performances have been a straw of optimism on which to clutch our future hopes, it is time for a reality check.

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The 23-year-old hasn’t yet shown that he can be a Premier League match-winner – he has no goal contributions in 19 matches including seven starts. This is a guy who needs to fill the creative void left by Christian Eriksen whose goal and assist numbers were always among the division’s best.

I have really enjoyed watching Lo Celso play. Skillful and strong on the ball, defensively aware and competitive, he does look like he has all the tools to be a more complete midfielder than Eriksen, if not quite as creative.

But what he has done so far is little more than a promising start and even in this season’s very lean category, he is not Player of the Year material.

It has to be Son Heung-min, who has 16 goals and nine assists in 32 games this season in all competitions. His Liverpool equivalent Sadio Mane has 18 and 12 respectively, having played six more matches, and is being touted as a possible PFA Player of the Year winner. Son has been superb yet again.

The South Korean has developed a selfish streak and has cost us with ill-discipline on a couple of occasions, but he has been the only player to produce any sort of consistent form in line with his maximum potential.

Lo Celso may be the man of the future, but Sonny is the man of right now.