Journalist Ben Jacobs has recently suggested that Tottenham Hotspur could receive Villarreal star defender Pervis Estupinan in a deal that would see Giovani Lo Celso go the other way.
Last season, Lo Celso experienced a successful loan deal at the Spanish outfit as they made the Champions League semi-finals and finished seventh in La Liga, and it is believed the Yellow Submarine are looking to bring the Argentinian back on a permanent deal this summer.
However, Jacobs has suggested Spurs could get 24-year-old defender Estupinan as a part of the deal in order to reach their £20m valuation of Lo Celso after it was claimed Villarreal were close to sealing an option-to-buy deal for £12.6m.
Jacobs told the Last Word on Spurs podcast: “There is some suggestion that Estupinan will go the other way, but swap deals are always problematic, so the reports are out there suggesting that it might not be a straight cash deal.
“But bear in mind as well that the reason for that is because £12-12.5m is much lower than Tottenham’s valuation for Lo Celso.
“So, Villarreal’s first offer would either need to be, I would say, £15m minimum, but Spurs would probably argue that he’s a £20m player. But if you’re to factor in £12m plus a player, then that can take it a little bit closer, in terms of its value, to £20m or so.”
TIF Thoughts on Jacobs’ comments…
After spending nearly £100m on transfers so far this summer, Spurs now need to get rid of some of their deadwood players including Lo Celso to balance their spending and free up some squad space for other players they will want to bring in.
The Ecuadorian could be a great pick-up for Spurs after he played 40 games for the Spanish side last season – including 10 in the Champions League – and ranked in the 97th percentile for interceptions, the 76th for progressive passes received and in the 73rd for tackles per game (as per FBref).
We think this would be a great deal for Spurs are they would get rid of a player no longer needed by the club while potentially bringing in some money as well as a player who could play a part in their side not just for now, but also in the future.
Should Spurs sell Lo Celso?Yes
No
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