A fantastical Argentine double swoop that could also have seen Paulo Dybala arrive in North London never materialised but Tottenham Hotspur supporters shouldn’t be too despondent after closing a deal for Giovani Lo Celso on transfer deadline day.
The elegant playmaker put pen to paper on a season-long loan deal from Real Betis for a fee of £14.7 million and should Spurs secure Champions League football, the club will have an obligation to pay a further £55 million to sign Lo Celso on a permanent deal.
It represents tremendous value for the Premier League club, a neat turnaround for Real Betis, who only activated their option to sign Lo Celso from Paris Saint-Germain for around £23 million in April, and a terrific next step for the 23-year-old in his development.
Any doubts that an uninspiring spell in Paris may have conjured were dispelled last season as Lo Celso shone in a Betis side that finished tenth in La Liga and reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
It’s time to say #HolaLoCelso!
🇦🇷 @LoCelsoGiovani ✍️
#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/Dzo3u9YkG3— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 8, 2019