Tottenham’s swoop for Lo Celso reportedly on hold over failure to agree a fee

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Tottenham’s negotiations with Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso are on hold because of a failure to agree a fee, according to Sky Sports News.

They report that the 23-year-old has a £88 million release clause in his contract but Tottenham don’t want to pay that – and have been unable to settle on a suitable price.

That has apparently seen negotiations stall, and the report says that Tottenham will only resume them now if Christian Eriksen leaves the club this summer.

Tanguy Ndombele joined Spurs yesterday and perhaps the budget doesn’t stretch to two big-money midfield recruits in the same summer without a significant outgoing.

Tottenham have plenty of midfielders they could try and move on – Eriksen, as well as Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama – and perhaps it’s clearing the wages and getting in some transfer fees that Daniel Levy is waiting for.

Even as Tottenham finally made two signings – their first since January 2018 – they are not going to suddenly start spending recklessly and it’s difficult not to conclude that the Ndombele deal has dried up a large amount of the kitty they’d hope to use for Lo Celso.

Perhaps the player himself will agitate for a move, which could get the price down, but outgoings may be the only way for Tottenham to get this deal back on the tracks.