The big story overnight (okay, the SECOND biggest story, Joe Lewis’ indictment kinda trumps everything) was a story that emerged from a Sevilla media source about Giovani Lo Celso. Gio was once dead-set on leaving Tottenham Hotspur this summer after falling out with Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, and engineering a loan to Villarreal last season.
But this summer? It all seems to have changed. Gio played 45 minutes in each of Spurs’ preseason tour friendlies, and has now scored in both of them. He looks positively reborn, fitting in perfectly into Ange Postecoglou’s offensive tactics. It’s gotten so that now Spanish site Muchodeporte is suggesting that he may not force a move out of Tottenham this summer after all.
Why should we listen to a Spanish report about an Argentinian player leaving an English club? Because Muchodeporte’s beat is Real Betis, the club where Gio spent a year on loan before joining Spurs, and to which he was heavily linked to return this summer. That bodes pretty well.
The gist is this — Gio still would like to return to Betis, where he felt comfortable, but the deal is now complicated and possibly cost-prohibitive unless Spurs really wanted to let him go. Meanwhile, Postecoglou is said to be “delighted” with Gio in training and wants to keep ahold of him. The report states that Ange has convinced Gio to stay, or at least to not rock the boat trying to get out. Gio is said to enjoy Ange and his tactics, and can see himself doing very well at Spurs this season.
Even better (and more timely) — Postecoglou was asked about Gio in the press conference following the Lion City Sailors friendly, and he basically just came right out and said it!
“You don’t have to go to Spain mate, you can just ask me. Yeah, I like Gio. He fits the way we play. I enjoy working with him and he seems to enjoy working with us.”
Honestly, I love this. Why bring in a player like Conor Gallagher for £50m when you basically now have a perfect 8/10 already in your club that you can slot in for nothing? Gio has looked amazing in both of his preseason appearances, the training photos show him smiling and enjoying his teammates, and he could be ideal for what Ange wants to do next season.
It also gives me hope for another player tipped to leave the club — Tanguy Ndombele. A knock has meant we didn’t see any Tanguy while on tour, but I’m hopeful that Ange sees the same thing in him that I (still) do — a tricky on the ball 8 who can hopefully slot in as a late sub or rotation option depending on opposition. But we’ll table that discussion for another time.
I love a good redemption arc, and Gio seems, at least at present, the most likely to feature in this edition. And if we can save a bit of cash, he continues to stay happy and motivated, and can be a plus add in the midfield? I’m more than happy to keep Gio around. It’s all change at Tottenham Hotspur, and Gio can be a part of that change… by not changing at all.
