According to a report from Football Insider, Giovani Lo Celso could leave Tottenham as soon as next week after failing to even make the bench recently.
The Lowdown: Lack of game time
In an interview on 23 December, Antonio Conte revealed to Football.London that Lo Celso was fit enough to feature for Spurs, after recovering from a knee injury he sustained in November whilst on international duty with Argentina.
However, Lo Celso is yet to feature in the Premier League under Conte.
The midfielder was on the bench for Tottenham’s recent games against Liverpool and West Ham. However, he did not make the squad for the Lilywhites’ Boxing Day win over Crystal Palace or the draw at Southampton on Tuesday.
The Latest: Lo Celso could depart in January
According to Spurs insider John Wenham (speaking to Football Insider), Tottenham may already have agreed a deal for Lo Celso to depart the club in January.
“Lo Celso didn’t even make the bench against Palace,” Wenham told FI correspondent Ben Wild.
“I hope we have something lined up for him next week.
“He is our second most expensive signing ever and he’s always unavailable.
“Somehow he’s always fit and available for Argentina and he always performs for them.
“It would be good if we offloaded him as soon as possible, maybe it is the case that something is agreed.
“It would make sense if he wasn’t even on the bench. Conte said he was fit and back training.
“There is no other reason for him to not be on the bench. Even Winks is ahead of him seemingly.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Lo Celso goes very early on in January.”
The Verdict: Departure looking likely
After spending the 2019/20 season on loan at Spurs, Lo Celso joined the squad on a permanent basis in a deal worth £28.8 million.
However, since arriving in North-London, the Argentina international has struggled with fitness, sustaining seven different injuries spanning over the two-year period.
Despite this, the central-midfielder’s talent is undeniable. Teammate Juan Foyth has hailed his fellow countryman as the ‘engine of the team’ at Tottenham, whilst Harry Winks has described him as a ‘technically gifted player’.
It could be suggested that if Conte were to give Lo Celso a run of games until the end of season, the Argentinian might be able to bounce back to his best, following a difficult spell with injuries.
However, due to his omission against Palace, it seems likely that the midfielder might be off in January.