Report: Conte has informed 26-year-old Spurs player that he does not want him at Tottenham next season

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According to reports from Argentina, Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has made it clear to Giovani Lo Celso that he’s not in his plans for next season.

The 26-year-old joined Spurs from Real Betis, initially on loan, in the summer of 2019. That move was made permanent in January of the following year for a fee of around £27.2 million. (BBC)

Lo Celso is an immensely talented player. He showed early on in his Spurs career that he has what it takes to be a real star, but injuries and inconsistency really cost him a place at the club.

Conte didn’t fancy him at all, and the Argentine had to join Villarreal on loan in January as a result.

• Report: Tottenham now considering offering Lo Celso and money to sign ‘absolutely brilliant player’

Antonio Conte has told Giovani Lo Celso to leave Tottenham

TNT Sports in Argentina first claimed on Twitter yesterday that Conte has informed Lo Celso that he will not consider the midfielder as a part of his plans for next season.

The outlet shed more light on the situation with a story on their website, where it has been claimed that Tottenham want to get rid of him before the end of the upcoming summer transfer window.

In his two-and-a-half years at Tottenham, Lo Celso played 84 times, scored eight goals and provides six assists in all competitions. He has played 19 times for Villarreal on loan so far, and his performances there have been really impressive.

It will be interesting to see if Unai Emery will attempt to make that move permanent this summer.

• Report: Antonio Conte thinks Tottenham midfielder Lo Celso really isn’t suited to the Premier League

Spurs could pull off a swap deal

Tottenham will be on the market for a left-sided central defender this summer and many reports have led us to believe that Villarreal’s Pau Torres is on Conte’s wish list.

The Spaniard has long been on Spurs’ radar. Torres publicly claimed last year that he turned down a move to Tottenham in the summer of 2021, but that could change now.

The talented centre-half is reportedly ready to leave Villarreal this summer, and The Mirror claim that Fabio Paratici is willing to include Lo Celso in the deal that would see Torres move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Swap deals aren’t easy to pull off these days, but with Lo Celso performing so well at Villarreal and Torres keen to take the next big step in his career this summer, it could well happen.

• ‘I’m told’: Romano says Champions League side want talks to sign Lo Celso, Spurs will sell for ‘real money’