Lo Celso says his transfer negotiations were not easy for Spurs or Villarreal
Giovani Lo Celso has been speaking to the Spanish media following his return to Villarreal on loan
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Giovani Lo Celso has admitted that his long wait to finally re-sign for Villarreal on loan was worth it. Allowed to depart Tottenham at the end of the January transfer window, the Argentina international headed to Estadio de la Ceramica on loan until the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
It proved to be a very successful spell for the player after his Tottenham woes, notably helping the Yellow Submarine reach the semi-finals of the Champions League after knocking out Juventus and Bayern Munich along the way. Always expected to re-sign for Villarreal on a permanent deal before the transfer deadline, the midfielder's move dragged on but it did eventually get over the line late on Sunday evening after both clubs agreed on a loan.
football.london understands that his loan switch contains a break clause for Spurs in January to end the loan if they receive a bid from someone in that window and the player agrees to the move. Presented to the Spanish media on Tuesday, Lo Celso opened up on his return to Villarreal and claimed that the negotiations were not easy for both parties.
"I'm very happy to be here again. It was a bit of a long wait, but it was worth it," he said, as reported by Villarreal's official website. "I left with the clear idea that I wanted to come back because it's a club that I like for its philosophy, for the objectives it sets itself and for the way I was welcomed from the first day, making me feel as if I had been here for a long time.
"It was a long negotiation, but I am grateful for the trust, patience, support and effort that the club made for a long time. It was not an easy thing for either side. Personally, I was always hopeful and focused on being as physically fit as possible to be ready when the time came.”
Lo Celso may not have featured in any of Tottenham's pre-season plans ahead of the new campaign but his main focus was to keep himself mentally and physically fit given a Spurs exit was always on the cards. He could potentially make his second debut for Villarreal on Thursday in the Europa Conference League against Hajduk Split or on Sunday evening when they travel to Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
"I feel good physically. I've been training hard, so I feel good," he added. "From the beginning, my objective has always been to be mentally and physically fit. Whether or not I play on Thursday is the coach's decision, but I feel good and ready.”
