What Will Lo Celso Add to Spurs in 2019-20?

The new season is here. The transfer window has slammed shut. And Spurs have managed to bring in Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis. The Argentine midfielder has joined on a season-long loan with the option to buy. So, what can we expect from the Argentine midfielder? And how does he compare with Spurs’ other transfer activity?

Spurs’ 2019 summer transfers

The summer of 2019 was dominated by rumours about an Argentine midfielder for Spurs fans. In most cases, however, it was Paulo Dybala attracting attention. The 25-year-old was rumoured to be unhappy at Juventus, and Spurs – along with Manchester United – were often top of the list when it came to buyers.

Manchester United pulled out of negotiations because of Dybala’s wage demands. That left many Spurs fans sceptical about the move given the club’s reputation when it comes to wages. Whatever the case, the proposed move eventually broke down when Juventus decided they no longer wanted to sell him.

Spurs were also linked with Bruno Fernandes, allegedly agreeing terms with the Portuguese midfielder – but not his owners, Sporting Lisbon. When that deal broke down too, it seemed like it could be a disappointing summer…

Cue a deadline day swoop for Lo Celso – plus Fulham winger Ryan Sessegnon. Along with the club-record signing of Tanguy NDombele in July, it suddenly seemed like a job well done for everyone involved…

What to expect in 2019-20

The question now is: where do the summer additions fit into the squad? NDombele has slotted in seamlessly as a defensive-midfielder and already opened his account at home to Aston Villa. Sessegnon, on the other hand, is likely to be integrated at left-back once he’s recovered from his hamstring injury.

As for Lo Celso, he’s likely to be deployed in a more attacking role. Lo Celso played mostly in a defensive-midfield role during his time at Paris Saint-Germain. However, after his move to Real Betis, he’s almost exclusively played in attacking roles. While he can drift out wide, the Argentine has spent most of his last season playing through the middle.

In terms of attributes, the young midfielder is renowned for his dribbling ability. He completed the most dribbles at Betis last season and drew more fouls than any other player. That’s combined with an eye for goal. Lo Celso found the net 16 times in all competitions for Betis last season, most notably with five goals in seven Europa League matches.

Attacking options

Lo Celso as an attacking midfielder seems like a pretty safe bet. The problem? Spurs are somewhat overloaded in attacking midfield. Once everyone is fully fit, Spurs will have a choice of Alli, Son, Eriksen, Sissoko, Moura, Lamela and Lo Celso to play behind Kane in the attacking midfield roles.

With the current system comprising three attacking midfielders, that leaves plenty of options for Pochettino. Lamela and Moura arguably make most of their impact off the bench, while Sissoko is more suited to a defensive or box-to-box role, having scored just once in his time at Tottenham. That leaves Alli, Son, Eriksen and Lo Celso.

Of course, there are still plenty of rumours linking Eriksen to Real Madrid. If this does materialise, it would simply be a case of slotting Lo Celso into the midfield. However, if Eriksen chooses to stay at Spurs for the final year of his contract, it’s more likely the midfield players will be rotated throughout the season.