Aston Villa targeting Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso | OneFootball

Aston Villa are preparing a move for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, reports football.london.

Lo Celso arrived at Tottenham from Real Betis in 2019, initially on loan with an option to buy. The move was made permanent in January 2020, with the whole deal totalling an estimated £42 million.

However, the Argentine has been unable to capture his best form in north London. In 55 Premier League appearances, he has bagged just one goal and three assists.

He has spent the last year-and-a-half on loan at Villarreal, where he has impressed. He was part of the Yellow Submarine side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season and has helped them to fifth place in La Liga this year.

The 27-year-old has also enjoyed success on the international stage. He has earned 42 caps for Argentina, including six in their Copa America triumph in 2021.

He likely would have been a starter at the World Cup in Qatar but missed the tournament through injury.

Lo Celso is set to return to Spurs at the end of the season, but the club are expected to offload him in the summer. Villa are ready to make a move for him.

Manager Unai Emery has previously managed Lo Celso on two occasions – at Villarreal and Paris Saint-Germain. In France, the pair won four domestic trophies together in two seasons.

Emery’s spell at Villa Park has been encouraging. When he took over from previous manager Steven Gerrard, the club were in 16th place, having taken just 12 points from their opening 13 games.

Since then, the Midlands outfit have been one of the best performing sides in the country.

In the Spaniard’s 23 league games in charge, he has accumulated 45 points – only Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool have more in that time frame.

This has taken them up to eighth place, outside the European places on goal difference alone.

Next up for Villa is a trip to Liverpool before completing the season with a home clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.