The Tottenham ace has been likened to Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva…
Aston Villa are reportedly continuing their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, as Unai Emery and Monchi work on bolstering the squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Villans are said to have been linked with the Argentine for some time, with the talented attacker rumoured to be one of the initial candidates to follow Emery to the Midlands from Villarreal last year.
What’s the latest on Giovani Lo Celso to Aston Villa?
As speculated back in October, Spurs could sell the 27-year-old for a fee in the region of £15m.
An update last week claimed that the Villans could have been handed a boost in their hope to sign the Spurs ace, with the Lilywhites’ desire to offload the talent clear.
Another report from Birmingham Live noted that the former Paris Saint-Germain maestro is on Villa’s list of targets, however, they are joined by Napoli in their interest in the midfielder.
How good is Giovani Lo Celso?
Despite things not working out as planned in north London following his loan spell that was made permanent by Spurs in 2020, the Argentine could be offered a shot at redemption in the Premier League.
Having been praised as a “magnificent player” by Sevilla president Jose Castro, the 27-year-old has enjoyed successive loan spells in LaLiga with Emery’s former club Villarreal, in which the Argentine crossed paths with the Spaniard.
The former Arsenal boss also coached Lo Celso during his time with PSG, describing him as “versatile” at the point of their reunion in Spain.
Now, the Rosario-born gem could work under the four-time Europa League winner once more, this time in the Midlands, where he could significantly bolster the squad at Villa Park.
Deployed primarily in attacking midfield, with the ability to venture onto the flank, the Spurs man could finally find comfort in the Premier League away from the capital.
In capturing the talent, Emery could install further depth and quality to his side, with the £100k-per-week ace likened statistically by FBref to one of the league’s most reliable attackers.
As per FBref, the Argentine’s numbers accumulated over the past year see him comparable to Manchester City star Bernardo Silva, a player that has consistently impressed when called upon for Pep Guardiola.
The two players are similar in their progressive approach to play, suggesting that Villa could land their answer to the Portuguese whiz this summer.
In LaLiga last season, Lo Celso averaged an impressive 7.75 progressive passes and 2.80 progressive carries per 90 for Villarreal, comparable to Silva’s 5.31 progressive passes and 3.67 progressive carries per 90 for City in the Premier League, via FBref.
Two talents key in the final third, Lo Celso flexed his creative ability from midfield as highlighted by his dominant average of 2.48 key passes per 90 in Spain, while the treble winner recorded 1.27 key passes per 90 for the Sky Blues.
Adding a quality as prominent as the Argentine could gift Emery an added outlet in the advanced areas, in a player that could replicate the impact of Silva at the Etihad by bringing his talents to Villa Park.
