Giovani Lo Celso ends Tottenham spell with return to former club

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the departure of midfielder Giovani Lo Celso to Real Betis.

Lo Celso first joined Spurs from Betis to much fanfare back in 2019 shortly after their run to the UEFA Champions League final, joining alongside Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon and Jack Clarke.

However, the Argentine struggled to keep fit and found it difficult to adapt to English football. He went on to make 108 appearances for Tottenham across his half-decade at the club.

Lo Celso also contributed 11 goals during his time in north London, with his final strike coming in a thrilling 3-3 draw away at Manchester City in December 2023.

The midfielder was never a regular under any of his managers at Spurs - Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Ryan Mason, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou - and departs on a permanent basis.

Lo Celso heads back to Spain having established himself as a Betis favourite during a successful 2018/19 campaign. He also returned to La Liga between 2022 and 2023 on loan at Villarreal.

Reports claim as part of Spurs' agreement with Betis, they have a 'priority option' to sign promising midfielder Johnny Cardoso. If Tottenham don't take up this option, they will retain a sell-on clause for the USA international.

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD