Tottenham Hotspur duo Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso may have played their last game for the club if some new rumours come true this summer.
As reported by L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Spurs have an interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes, with Antonio Conte’s side following him closely.
Elsewhere, Calciomercato claims Tottenham are seeking a move for Roma attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Serie A side having ‘no intention’ of meeting his current contract demands.
These rumours suggest that managing director of football Fabio Paratici is hoping to upgrade the Spurs midfield. This could have big ramifications for the team, and TIF has decided to take a look at how it could all play out.
Shipped out for good?
In the January transfer window, Spurs opted to send both Ndombele and Lo Celso out on loan. Having signed from Lyon for £63m in July 2019, the Frenchman returned to his former club in a move that includes an option to buy for a reported £54m.
Lo Celso secured a loan move to Villarreal where he had a reunion with Unai Emery, who managed him previously at Paris Saint-Germain.
The truth is, both players were sent away because they’d underperformed in England. Ndombele had made just six starts in the league up to that point in the season, while the Argentine hadn’t fared any better, as he had to settle for nine appearances – seven of which were as a substitute.
Away from north London, however, both men have enjoyed good spells up to this point. Indeed, Ndombele made it to the latter stages of the Europa League, even scoring against West Ham United before Lyon were knocked out.
Lo Celso managed to go one step further and received the Man of the Match award following his display in Villarreal’s 1-0 Champions League win over Bayern Munich – which has sent his side into the semi-finals.
With these fruitful loan spells in mind, perhaps the duo – and the club – will be keen for them to continue playing their football elsewhere.
Does Giovani Lo Celso deserve another chance at Spurs?
Yes
No
Summer targets
If Paratici wanted to bring in a replacement in the middle of the park, he could be tempted into a move for Paredes of PSG. His quality can’t be doubted, as he has won numerous trophies in France, as well as the Copa America with Argentina.
However, he is not a regular on the teamsheet in Paris and could be seeking more minutes elsewhere. If this is the case, he may be an attainable target to add some depth to the Spurs midfield in the absence of either Ndombele or Lo Celso.
Of course, the man on loan to Villarreal plays a slightly more attacking role at times, which could make Zaniolo a perfect replacement. Indeed, the 22-year-old Italian often operates in an advanced position and showed his goalscoring threat in Europe recently with a hat-trick against Bodo/Glimt.
In total, he has seven goals and eight assists to his name in all competitions this term, which is far better than the one goal and two assists Lo Celso has.
TIF Verdict…
It’s clear the talent is there with Lo Celso and Ndombele, but for whatever reason, neither player can harness their quality in a Tottenham shirt with any sort of consistency.
However, their loan spells have potentially done enough to see them retain their status as valuable assets in the transfer market. With that in mind, if Spurs want to sign the likes of Paredes and Zaniolo, they could raise the funds by selling their loanees.
If the rumours are true and Paratici is eyeing up a move for the duo, the two loaned-out Spurs players may well have played their last games in a Tottenham shirt.
In other news: ‘Even though he is…’ – Guest tips Conte to make ‘wildcard’ Spurs decision