Barcelona have reportedly identified Tottenham outcast Giovanni Lo Celso as an alternative option if they fail to sign Manchester City star Bernardo Silva.
Bernardo Silva has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona for some time now. The Catalan giants were interested in signing him last summer but Manchester City blocked a move. Now, it seems like they have reignited their interest in the Portuguese playmaker, who played a key role in Man City’s historic Treble-winning campaign in 2022-23. The likes of Saudi Arabia giants Al-Hilal have already registered their interest in the 27-year-old.
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez could seek a move for Tottenham’s Giovanni Lo Celso should he fail in his pursuit of Bernardo Silva.
Lo Celso, 27, spent last season on loan with Villarreal as he looked to put his forgettable time with Tottenham behind him. He did well for the Yellow Submarines, racking up two goals and three assists in 22 La Liga appearances. Despite never really breaking into the Spurs side, the midfielder’s performances both on loan and with Spain prove that there is an impressive player there.
While Xavi has made Silva his primary target in the summer transfer window, a deal would be difficult to thrash out despite the player’s desire to leave Man City, the report adds.
Giovanni Lo Celso to Barcelona—Is he the right alternative to Bernardo Silva?
Xavi Hernandez has made the signing of Bernardo Silva a priority, as Barcelona look to raid Man City again after the signing of Ilkay Gundogan earlier this summer.
Silva, 28, has been a top performer for City since arriving from AS Monaco in 2017. He has turned out over 300 times for the Sky Blues, chipping in with 55 goals and 59 assists. But the Portugal international, who played a key role in City’s historic Treble-winning last season, is keen on embarking on a new chapter.
And Barcelona are keen to offer Silva that in this ongoing transfer window. However, with the Catalan giants facing financial difficulty and must move on players before spending big, a deal for Silva would be difficult to difficult. In that case, signing Giovanni Lo Celso from Tottenham would make sense.
In Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri, Gavi and Franck Kessie, Barcelona have an incredible midfield unit, and Lo Celso will only help them improve. Lo Celso spent the last 18 months on loan at Villarreal, having fallen out of favour at Tottenham. He put in some solid and eye-catching performances during his loan spell with the Yellow Submarines in La Liga.
The Argentinean international is versatile enough to play in a box-to-box role midfield role as well as a central attacking midfielder. A technically-gifted player with the vision to breach rigid defences, the ex-PSG man will help create more goalscoring opportunities for players like Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha. Furthermore, Lo Celso knows the demands of La Liga well and his arrival—either on loan or permanent transfer—would fit Barcelona like a glove.
With that being said, if a move for Xavi’s top target Silva fails to materialise, Lo Celso would be an excellent alternative option to consider for the Spanish champions.
