Tottenham transfer news: Giovani Lo Celso attracts Serie A suitors, but Spurs set steep fee

Giovani Lo Celso has fresh transfer interest from Fiorentina, but the Serie A side will reportedly need to reduce the steep Tottenham fee.

The midfielder initially arrived as one of Mauricio Pochettino’s final Spurs signings. Despite the manager’s later sacking, Jose Mourinho took to the 26-year-old and tied him to a permanent deal.

Since then, though, Lo Celso has struggled due to injury first and midfield competition more recently.

Current Tottenham boss Antonio Conte subsequently allowed the Argentina international to leave on loan in January.

Former Real Betis man Lo Celso moved back to Spain with Villarreal. Unai Emery’s side reportedly want to strike a permanent deal but are struggling with the finances.

As a result, Correire dello Sport claims that Fiorentina have rekindled interest in a deal.

The Serie A club reportedly eyed Lo Celso in January amid Spurs’ interest in La Viola midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.

However, no deals materialised between the two clubs. Conte instead opted to bolster his midfield with Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur.

Nevertheless, Fiorentina are back looking or a midfielder and think a Lo Celso deal would be perfect for manager Vincenzo Italiano.

For now, though, Spurs’ €20million (£17million) price tag looks restrictive for the Serie A suitors. They will need to try to convince Tottenham to lower their demands before making a firm approach.

Lo Celso has made 84 appearances for Tottenham, scoring eight goals and assisting six others.

He has therefore become a senior Argentina international and maintaining his top form ahead of the World Cup later this year will no doubt be a key motivation for him.

As it stands, though, Lo Celso would find it hard to get back in the Tottenham ranks.

Lo Celso needs Tottenham exit

Lo Celso‘s contrasting fortunes for Tottenham and Villarreal last season show perfectly that he needs a fresh start.

The midfielder played nine out of a possible 20 Premier League matches last term, for a total of 233 minutes – under three 90-minute stints.

However, his 16 La Liga appearances from when he joined Villarreal meant he did not miss a single league match for the Spaniards.

Lo Celso set for Spurs exit?

Giovanni Lo Celso has been on loan at Villarreal since January and they are extremely keen on making his deal permanent, with Spurs asking for £17 million for the Argentine.

What’s more, seven of Lo Celso’s nine Premier League outings lasted less than 45 minutes. Only four of his 16 Villarreal league games fell into that braket.

Lo Celso also played his part in Villarreal’s Champions League campaign, featuring in the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

He therefore needs a similar level of game time next season to ensure that he is in top shape ahead of the World Cup.