Tottenham Hotspur have been encouraged to “cut their losses” on Giovani lo Celso by former player Alan Hutton.
The attacking midfielder arrived on loan in north London in the summer of 2019 before the club made his move permanent the following window.
Spurs forked out £27.2m to sign the Argentine ace from Real Betis but he has since found himself back in La Liga.
After becoming surplus to requirements under Antonio Conte he spent the second half of last season on loan at Villarreal and has returned to the Yellow Submarine for the duration of the current campaign.
Reports have suggested that the Lilywhites would accept an £18m bid for the 26-year-old but Hutton has urged the club to accept an even lesser fee.
Speaking to Football Insider he said:
“It’s not quite worked out again another player we’ve seen in flashes of what he was capable of.
“£18m is still a lot of money for even a team like Villarreal to try and pay at this moment in time so I think it’s going to be difficult for that to come off.
“But I don’t see a future at Tottenham. I think it’s definitely one that they’d be more than happy to maybe cut their losses and get as much money in as possible to then give Antonio Conte to put back into the side.
“We’ll have to wait and see what comes up for him, £18m does seem high.”
TIF Thoughts on Lo Celso and Spurs…
Does Lo Celso deserve another chance at Spurs?
Yes
No
As Hutton points out it is hard to see a future for the 5 ft 8 maestro at N17, despite him being hailed as a ‘top player’, having been banished by Conte in the summer and forced to train away from the main group.
He only ever managed eight goals and six assists in 84 appearances for the club having been in and out of the side.
Injuries didn’t help the 41-cap ace either as he missed six weeks almost immediately into his Tottenham career and he would sit out 45 games in just over two years before being shipped out on loan last January.
As a result we would agree with Hutton that the club must find a buyer which will be easier said than done but they must also lower their asking price to help speed up the process.