Giovani Lo Celso, 27, has finally begun to find his form in north London this season, so Ange Postecoglou will be happy that he stayed at Tottenham over the summer. During Antonio Conte’s tenure, Lo Celso found it difficult to win over the Italian manager, and before Postecoglou joined in the summer, he spent eighteen months on loan at Villarreal.
Under the direction of his new manager, the Spurs playmaker has found newfound energy and has scored twice in his last two games following his recovery from a hamstring injury earlier in the season. He scored during Tottenham’s exciting weekend draw with Manchester City, and he will be looking to continue his strong play into the hectic holiday season.
Postecoglou appears to be reaping the benefits of his belief in Lo Celso, who was on the verge of leaving Spurs at the conclusion of the summer transfer window. Lo Celso stayed at Tottenham after Barcelona rejected their approach, despite the fact that they had identified him as a possible target.
According to Sport, Postecoglou intervened to thwart the proposed transfer after concluding that Lo Celso still had a lot to give Tottenham. The midfielder’s most recent goal against City serves as a reminder of what he can contribute when playing at his peak, so it seems like his decision is paying off.
Prior to the January transfer window, Barcelona has been linked to a fresh attempt to sign Lo Celso. The Catalan powerhouses are still believed to be eager to sign him should the chance present itself. However, given that Postecoglou expressed last month that he wanted to keep the player, it appears likely that Spurs will say no once more.
“No, because this is the opportunity where I’m getting to make those assessments,” Postecoglou responded when asked if he had thought about selling Lo Celso in January. To me, [what he did earlier] isn’t really relevant. It’s more about what I observe going forward and how the players feel about blending in with the style of football I like.
I’m going to examine each person closely. Feedback regarding our playing style and how I see the guys fitting in is always present. Gio is the same. His performance on the national team doesn’t seem to directly relate to this. Within the next few weeks, Gio and other people will have opportunities.”
Over the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see if Lo Celso can maintain his impressive play at Tottenham, where the north Londoners are hoping for a return to Premier League success. They haven’t experienced victory since the end of October, but on Thursday night against West Ham, they will have a fantastic chance to break their losing streak.
