Sources: Villarreal in advanced talks to sign Giovani Lo Celso after Tottenham twist
Villarreal are in advanced talks to sign Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso permanently, Football Insider understands.
The attacking midfielder, 26, made a big impact at the Spanish club following his arrival in January on loan.
A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Villarreal have held extensive talks with Spurs and Lo Celso’s representatives about converting the loan into a permanent deal.
An agreement is close to being reached after Spurs indicated they are willing to take a big loss on the midfielder, who cost £28million plus a £15m loan fee when he joined from Real Betis.
The Londoners were initially holding out for £30m earlier this year for Lo Celso but will now accept closer to £20m.
There was no ‘buy’ option included in the deal that took the Argentine to the Champions League semi-finalists in the winter window.
Spurs are keen to offload Lo Celso after being deemed surplus to requirements by Antonio Conte.
He struggled to thrive in the Premier League despite having an excellent record in Spain and international football.
Lo Celso made just two Premier League starts in the opening half of the season and failed to complete 90 minutes on a single occasion.
Back in Spain, he was instrumental in Unai Emery’s Villarreal team making shock progress to the last four of the Champions League, where they knocked out Bayern Munich.
He played both legs of the quarter-final, which his side won 2-1 on aggregate.
He has made 84 appearances in total for Spurs since initially joining in the summer of 2019.
His contract expires in 2025.
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