Tottenham have reportedly agreed a €60m (£55m) deal for Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.
The Daily Record report that Spurs will pay €52m (£47.74m) outright for the Argentine midfielder whilst paying the remaining sum in add-ons.
The report also states that the north London club see Lo Celso as a long-term replacement for Christian Eriksen, who is approaching the final year of his contract with Tottenham and has stated his desire to move on from last season’s Champions League finalists.
Spurs have been chasing Lo Celso for what seemingly feels like the majority of the transfer window, with reports dating as far back as May of the Premier League side’s interest in the Argentine (per BBC Sport), but in terms as a direct replacement for Eriksen, the Real Betis man could be a poor fit to replace the impact the Danish playmaker has made in the Tottenham squad.
Comparing Lo Celso and Eriksen’s stats from WhoScored, it becomes quickly apparent that the current Tottenham man’s numbers are far superior to what the Argentina international managed last season.
Eriksen registered 12 assists last season for Spurs, three times as many as what Lo Celso managed with Betis with 4. As well as direct goal contribution numbers, the Danish international averaged more key passes per game than the former PSG midfielder at 2.1 per game compared to 0.8.
Eriksen also averaged more passes per game than Lo Celso at 53.5 to 44.5 as well as more crosses, with the 27-year-old averaging 0.9 per game compared to the Betis playmaker’s 0.1.
Tottenham’s pursuit of Lo Celso this summer has been a long and drawn-out process, and with the transfer window into its final week it is now or never for the north London side to secure the signature of the Argentine, but maybe missing out on the midfielder wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Indeed, if Spurs see Lo Celso as a replacement for Eriksen, the club will be signing a player who was massively out-performed by the Danish international statistically last season, and for £55m, the north London club could spend that kind of money more wisely.
Tottenham fans, would Lo Celso be a good replacement for Eriksen? Let us know!
About the Author
