Tottenham Hotspur are keen on bringing Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso to north London.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, the Argentine midfielder has garnered a lot of interest from all around Europe, with Manchester United and Real Madrid also looking to sign him.
What would Lo Celso bring to the table for the Lilywhites? Here is a detailed SWOT analysis of the Real Betis midfielder.
Strength
Lo Celso is a versatile and technically gifted player who can play multiple roles – a central role or further up the pitch. His ability to glide past defenders using his pace and dribbling skills, ability to hold on to the ball in difficult situations are some of the many areas the Argentine excels at as a player.
Another key aspect of Lo Celso’s game is his tackling prowess, and his defensive work rate makes him a force to reckon with in midfield.
The 23-year-old averaged 3.1 tackles in Europe, and 1.9 across all competitions in the recently concluded campaign.
Weakness
The Argentine doesn’t have any significant weakness, but like any other player, Lo Celso also has a downside to his game. His physicality and aerial prowess with a 177cm frame remain a bit of concern for Spurs, especially in the Premier League where these two factors play a significant role with several teams playing the long-ball game.
Lo Celso, however, is great at holding up the ball but gets fouled often which at times lead to a break in the counter-attack.
Opportunities
With the speculation of Christian Eriksen leaving the North London club, and lack of options for Spurs in the centre of the pitch, it could be a big opportunity for the 23-year-old to once again establish himself at a big club after his departure from PSG.
The Lilywhites are the Champions League finalists and with a manager like Mauricio Pochettino at the helm, Lo Celso can be sure of significant first team action next season.
Threats
The Argentine’s earlier stint with European heavyweights PSG didn’t end well. The arrival of Thomas Tuchel, one of the best upcoming managers in the world, shipped him out of the side the moment he arrived at Parc des Princes. Although his time at Real Betis has been a learning curve for Lo Celso, the expectations at a big club are not easy to deal with and the Argentine knows it well from his time in France.
His performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 at Santiago Bernabeu remains his worst performance till date in his career. Pochettino, in particular, must remain wary of how to handle his compatriot’s development at Spurs in case Lo Celso ends up at the club.
Stat Courtesy: Whoscored
