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Midfield outcast nearing Ligue 1 switch but Levy puts Tottenham first in ‘ongoing’ talks

Midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is close to joining Lyon on loan but Tottenham are playing hardball over the terms as talks with the Ligue 1 side continue.

Lo Celso, 25, is currently in his third season with Spurs having joined from Real Betis in August 2019. An initial loan spell soon became permanent. The north Londoners paid in the region of £28m for the Argentina international but he has struggled to hit the heights.

He made 15 Premier League starts in his first season at the club but only 11 last term. And the former Paris Saint-German star has been given the nod twice in 2021-2022 among nine top-flight outings.

He has struggled with injury but also a dip in form. Antonio Conte does not seem to trust him in the league but he has seen action elsewhere.

The South American has enjoyed four appearances in the EFL Cup while playing five times in the Europa Conference League. Recent rumours suggested a January exit may be on the cards.

And respected transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has taken to Twitter to back up those claims.

He tweeted: “Olympique Lyonnais are interested in signing Giovani Lo Celso from Tottenham to replace Bruno Guimaraes who’s set to join Newcastle.

“He’s considered one of the candidates in their list.”

The transfer window will soon be shut and so many deals will be rushed through. But it appears as though the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outfit will only let Lo Celso leave on their terms.

Romano added on Twitter: “Spurs only open to accept 100% coverage until June. Talks ongoing.”

The capital outfit also want the French club to pay a fee for the loan period. The schemer would be joining a club 11th in the French top-flight but only three points outside the European places.

Lo Celso fails to impress Conte

Lo Celso picked up a knee injury in November that kept him out of action for a month. And he was also crocked in late December with a calf issue.

However, he recently made it clear that he is fully fit. Conte chose not to select him in the squad for Spurs 2-0 loss to Chelsea last time out.

That prompted speculation about an imminent exit and he may soon be off to France. The Rosario-born ace has played only 233 minutes of league football this season.

He will be eyeing a spot in Argentina’s World Cup side and needs to be playing regular football to impress coach Lionel Scaloni.

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