OPINION
Tottenham look set to spend money this summer after two windows of not buying anyone and there are some serious targets emerging.
One is Argentine winger Giovani Lo Celso and Sky Sports have reported that Spurs remain locked in talks with Real Betis over the 23-year-old.
The fee seems to be the issue, with Tottenham ‘hopeful’ of doing a deal and the player keen on a move to north London.
He has a release clause of £88million but the Sky report claims that £70million would get the deal done.
Given that, Daniel Levy must step up and ensure that Poch gets his man.
Lo Celso fits the bill as far as Mauricio Pochettino goes. He’s young, just 23, a full international, and he scored 16 goals and added six assists last season, scoring five in seven Europa League games.
In 32 La Liga games last season he had 44 shots with 29 on target and averaged 45 passes per game with an 83% success rate. They’re some serious numbers in a good league, playing for a mid-table side. Imagine what he could do in the Tottenham side.
He’s playing in the Copa America at the moment and while a duff tournament isn’t going to turn him into a bad player, a tournament-defining performance could ratchet the pressure up on Tottenham and attract other clubs in.
That’s the gamble that Levy is currently taking at the moment and so far it’s paying off. Lo Celso played 90 minutes for Argentina in the 2-0 loss to Colombia on Sunday.
However, the two easiest games are coming up – against Paraguay on Thursday and Qatar next Sunday. Given that, this week might represent the very best time to get a deal done and a cheeky bid of £65million could be the compromise that would work for both sides.
Given how much Pochettino has made for the club in the Champions League it’s time for Levy to step up and pay market value for the players he wants.