Spurs in talks with club over selling 'one of the best players in the world'

Tottenham Hotspur are now in talks with Villarreal over selling Giovani Lo Celso, according to Marca.

The Spurs midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at the La Liga club.

Now, it looks as though Tottenham boss Antonio Conte is willing to move Lo Celso on.

Marca – via Sport Witness – claims the Argentine’s signing is the ‘express desire’ of Unai Emery.

The Spanish outlet claims Villarreal are now in discussions with Spurs over potentially signing Lo Celso.

Tottenham reportedly want €20m (£17m) for the 26-year-old playmaker.

Whether Villarreal can meet Spurs’ valuation remains to be seen, however.

Last week, El Periodico Mediterraneo claimed the Champions League semi-finalists planned to offer €18m (£15.3m).

Lo Celso’s Tottenham contract runs until 2025, so Spurs will have a strong hand in negotiations.

“He improves us”

Tottenham signed Lo Celso on loan in the summer of 2019 before buying him outright the next year.

However, his career at Spurs never really got going amid injury and form issues.

The suspension of English football due to covid likely played a part in the player’s struggles to settle.

Nonetheless, even if Conte doesn’t plan to use Lo Celso, he’s a good enough player to make a name for himself elsewhere.

After all, he has done very well for Argentina’s national team in recent years.

And earlier this year, Villarreal goalkeeper and fellow Argentine Geronimo Rulli gave Lo Celso some very high praise.

Speaking to Super Deporte, Rulli said: “He gives us an option as a team.

“He improves us, and I won’t be surprising many by saying that he is one of the best players in the world.

“I know him well as a player and as a person, so I hope he does very well.”