Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is the subject of a transfer tug of war between Villarreal and Fiorentina, but the Lilywhites may be forced to settle for a temporary exit.

The Lowdown: Villarreal loan spell

Falling out of contention at Spurs under manager Antonio Conte, the Argentina international spent the second half of last season on loan in the Spanish top-flight with Villarreal.

During his tenure, Lo Celso made 21 appearances for the club, including six games in the side’s sensational Champions League run.

Returning to Hotspur Way this summer, the 26-year-old was omitted from Tottenham’s pre-season squad alongside the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks – who are all expected to leave the club before the window closes.

The Latest: Another loan?

Romano has shared an update on Lo Celso’s Tottenham future, revealing a two-way battle and also the fact that Fabio Paratici could have to settle for another loan deal.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist reported:

“Villarreal are pushing to sign Lo Celso as soon as possible, while Fiorentina will try to enter the race until the end as he’s top priority for their manager Italiano.

“Villarreal are in talks for Lo Celso on loan with buy option clause that could become mandatory.”

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The Verdict: Great move for him

Following the arrival of Yves Bissouma from Brighton, the Argentine has fallen even further down Conte’s pecking order at Hotspur Way.

And it would be such a shame to see the midfielder rot on the bench for Tottenham, given he still has the ability to perform at the highest level.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Lo Celso actually ranks in the 93rd percentile for tackles per 90 minutes and in the 88th percentile for pressures.

Dubbed ‘outstanding’ by The Athletic's Dermot Corrigan for his Champions League quarter-final performance against Bayern Munich last season, a move away from Spurs appears to be the best option for the player’s career, whether that be to Spain or Italy.