Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min (left) celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with team-mate Giovani lo Celso during the FA Cup fourth round match at St Mary's Stadium, Southampton. (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
Tottenham set to make really simple transfer decision
Tottenham need to make some tough decisions this month, but activating the clause to permanently purchase Giovani Lo Celso isn’t one of them.
Giovani Lo Celso didn’t get off to a flying start under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, but Jose Mourinho’s arrival in North London has benefited the midfielder greatly. Now that he finds himself as one of the key players in Spurs’ midfield it’s time for the club to complete his purchase from Real Betis.
Fortunately, Mourinho and the higher-ups at Tottenham intend to do just that. In the aftermath of his team’s disappointing 1-1 draw at Southampton he informed the press that his midfielder’s recent play was making signing him on a permanent basis an “easy decision.”
The Argentine’s play against the Saints was a perfect illustration of what he can do for Tottenham. It was his powerful and skillful run from the midfield that led to Heung-Min Son’s goal in the match. He’s really the only player at Mourinho’s disposal who is capable of creating that sort of attack from a midfield position.
The club’s decision to ship Christian Eriksen off to Inter Milan will give Lo Celso an extended run of games as the club’s No. 10. He isn’t as skillful as his Danish counterpart, but Lo Celso is a much more physical player. That quality is going to endear him to Mourinho and Tottenham fans alike.
The real question is whether or not Lo Celso is best suited to play as a No. 10 or further back in a three-man midfield. Mourinho has used him in both spots recently. In fairness to Lo Celso, he’s played well in both roles.
Some of Lo Celso’s immediate future may hinge on what else Spurs do in the transfer market this month. There are rumblings that Tottenham want to buy a like-for-like replacement for Eriksen before the window slams shut. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine that actually happening. February is fast approaching and there doesn’t seem to be an imminent move out there. Daniel Levy isn’t known for his lightning quick transfer maneuvers.
As such, Spurs fans should expect to see a lot of Celso on the ball for the rest of the current campaign. Perhaps Tottenham could do him the favour of getting him a solid striker to pass the ball to before their top four hopes go down the drain.
