OPINION
It was reported on Wednesday that Tottenham have pulled back from negotiations over Giovani Lo Celso, after being unable to agree a fee with Real Betis.
Sky Sports went on to say that Spurs could come back to the table if Christian Eriksen is sold.
But would Lo Celso, 23, make an adequate replacement for Tottenham’s creative genius?
If you just look at goals and assists in the league for last season it would seem that Lo Celso doesn’t offer anywhere near Eriksen’s creativity.
Lo Celso scored nine goals and added just five assists in 32 games. Eriksen scored eight and added 12 assists in 35 games.
However, if you scratch beneath the surface you can see why Mauricio Pochettino is chasing the Argentine midfielder.
(All the following stats come from wyscout.com and are an average per 90 of every game the two players played in the 18/19 season, across all competitions.)
The numbers are very similar, with Eriksen making more passes with slightly less accuracy.
Putting these stats into context as well makes the case for Lo Celso greater, too.
Real Betis finished 10th in La Liga scoring just 44 goals. Tottenham ended up fourth in the Premier League and scored 67 goals.
Lo Celso’s end product would likely go up playing in a Tottenham side with so much attacking talent.
Do Tottenham need him if Eriksen stays? Seemingly not at the price that Real Betis want. But if Eriksen goes, Lo Celso is a readymade replacement.
If Tottenham could sell Eriksen for a similar price they could buy Lo Celso for, with Eriksen able to leave for free next summer, it would be a no-brainer.