Tottenham report: Serie A giants weighing up midfielder offer, but there's a problem
Tottenham may have found a buyer in Italy for one of their midfielders, but the player's wage demands could scupper a deal
Tottenham may have found a buyer in Italy for a midfielder who is not in their plans for next season, but the player's wage demands could prove a stumbling block to a summer transfer.
Spurs are working hard to move on some of the players who are surplus to requirements for manager Ange Postecoglou in order to raise funds for new signings.
Danish international Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is closing in on a move to Marseille after talks escalated in the last couple of days and now, another midfielder could be on his way out of the north London club.
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Giovani Lo Celso has just helped Argentina win the Copa America and assisted the winning goal for Lautaro Martinez in the final against Colombia, but the midfielder has been unable to hold down a starting spot at Spurs.
And according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lazio could revive their interest in the 28-year-old, who is out of contract at Tottenham in 2025.
Lazio considered signing Lo Celso last year, but a deal was vetoed at the time by manager Maurizio Sarri. With Marco Baroni now in charge, it is thought the Rome-based club could be back in for the Argentine midfielder.
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Napoli are also understood to be interested, but Lo Celso's reported wage demands of €4-5 million per year could scupper a move to Italy. The transfer fee would be around €10m (£8.4m), La Gazzetta say.
Meanwhile, Lo Celso has also been linked with Aston Villa in a sensational swap deal which would see Jacob Ramsey move the other way. However, manager Unai Emery already said in January that he had no intention of selling Ramsey, who came through the youth ranks at Villa.
In FourFourTwo's view, Lo Celso will end up leaving Tottenham this summer. Given his quality, it is surprising that he has not been able to hold down a starting spot at Spurs, but the former Real Betis and Paris Saint-Germain player has worked with several managers at the north London club and has not really been a regular starter for any of them. The time is right for everyone to move on for a player who still has plenty to offer.
More Tottenham stories
Tottenham have made contact for French wonderkid - who has received public backing from Thierry Henry, while the north Londoners are in the 'final stages' of completing major summer signing.
They're also keen on hijacking an Arsenal transfer, whose move to the Emirates Stadium still hasn't crossed the line.
Meanwhile, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is close to a Tottenham exit as a move to French side Marseille nears completion.
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Ben Hayward is the Weekend Editor of FourFourTwo. A European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.