Tottenham will now reject any interest for ‘outstanding’ 27-year-old in January

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Tottenham Hotspur will now rebuff any approach from Barcelona for Giovani Lo Celso in the January transfer window.

Lo Celso has played very little football under Ange Postecoglou this season but will now be needed after an unfortunate injury to James Maddison.

And a report by The Standard says that Tottenham now don’t consider a departure possible for Lo Celso in January.

Barcelona had been linked with a loan move for the Argentinian given his lack of game time at the club – but it seems like that is about to change.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was Maddison’s replacement in the defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the game that followed a chaotic night against Chelsea.

However, with more time for Postecoglou and his staff to plan, Lo Celso may now become a starter in his team.

An 18-year-old in Spurs’ academy was discussed as a more obvious stylistic replacement for Maddison, but Lo Celso is clearly better placed to shoulder such responsibility.

And it shouldn’t be a surprise that Tottenham would be unwilling to allow Lo Celso to leave amid all of these absences.

Tottenham will reject any bid from Barcelona for Lo Celso in January

It seems unlikely that Lo Celso will be a player around for the long-term under Postecoglou’s management – he’s barely featured thus far.

But he could now do an important job in the interim, and a summer departure would now seem much more sensible. 

Maddison is scheduled to return for Spurs after the New Year, and despite his injury, one pundit is still convinced that the Tottenham star will be a starter for England at the Euros.

There’s no doubt that Spurs will miss Maddison, a player who has surpassed the lofty expectations he arrived at the club with.

But Lo Celso, who has been ‘outstanding’ on occasion in the past, could now relish his chance to shine.

He’s a different player to Maddison, but definitely has the characteristics to perform well in this side.

And it would probably be a foolish decision were Tottenham willing to sanction a move to Barcelona in January.

So it must come as a relief to fans that Postecoglou’s options won’t be reducing further in the months to come.