Giovani Lo Celso
Giovani Lo Celso has stated he will “see what happens in the summer” regarding a potential stay at Villarreal. In and out of the Tottenham team over the course of the season, the Argentina international was allowed to depart in January and duly headed to La Liga. Antonio Conte’s decision to part with the 25-year-old does seem to indicate that the player no longer has a future in north London, with fellow 2019 summer arrival Tanguy Ndombele also in the same boat after his loan return to Lyon.
Giovani Lo Celso said: “I try to enjoy the day to day, each training session, each match and, later, football and life will tell what is happening. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know that I’m working 100%, that I’m going to give my best and we’ll see what happens in the summer.”
Hit by a number of injuries since his switch to Tottenham and forced to spend a lot of time on the sidelines as a result, Lo Celso only started in two of his nine Premier League appearances for the club this term. Starting in five of his six La Liga games for his new club so far, the versatile midfielder knew that Emery’s side were perfect for him.
Giovani Lo Celso said: “I knew that I was coming to a team that plays colourful football, which is the protagonist and I feel comfortable with that idea. I already knew the coach from PSG. I know how he works, what he can ask of a player and what he can make him perform.”
Capable of playing in a number of different midifield positions, Lo Celso operated in central midfield, attacking midfield and even out wide in a front three for Tottenham this campaign. Now operating as more of a second striker for the Europa League holders, the player has opened up on his new role and adapting to his coaches’ demands in the past.
Giovani Lo Celso added: “Now I am in the last third trying to make the last pass, to be close to the reference point that is [Arnaut] Danjuma, at this moment. If there is something that I did these years in Europe, it was to adapt to the ideas of the coaches to what they ask of me. I went through many positions in the field. There isn’t one that says ‘I play here or I don’t play’. On the contrary, I am open in that sense. And I know that in each position where I have to, I will continue learning things, resources, I adapt. Today it’s my turn there, but there will be another time when I have another role or another position and I’ll also try to do what’s best for the team.”
On the possibility of adding goals to his game after scoring once all season,
Giovani Lo Celso added: “At Betis I had a good period of goals, but I don’t pay much attention to that either, but rather to the functioning of the team, to what one can contribute to the team beyond the goal. At Tottenham I played further back in the double pivot, one adapts to what the coach asks of him.”
