Tottenham Hotspur has reportedly rejected Barcelona’s offer to sign midfielder Giovani Lo Celso on loan this January.
According to The Independent, Barcelona is seeking to strengthen their midfield during this transfer window, but their financial constraints limit them to loan deals. After failing to secure the services of Kalvin Phillips, who opted for a loan move to West Ham United from Manchester City, Barcelona turned their attention to Lo Celso.
However, Tottenham swiftly turned down Barcelona’s offer, as it did not meet the club’s expectations regarding Lo Celso’s wages and other terms.
Lo Celso arrived at Tottenham in 2019 from Real Betis for €60 million. Despite showing promise, he struggled to make a significant impact. He spent the period from January 2022 to the summer of 2023 on loan at Villarreal.
Nevertheless, the report suggests that Lo Celso is content at Tottenham under manager Ange Postecoglou. Despite limited playing time this season, totaling 514 minutes across 12 games, the Argentine midfielder has managed to contribute with two goals and two assists.
Xavi ponders Barcelona’s Copa del Rey loss to Athletic Club.
Barcelona faced a disappointing exit from the Copa del Rey at the Round of 16 stage, falling 4-2 to Athletic Club on Wednesday, January 24.
The match at San Mames began on a sour note for Barcelona as they conceded an early goal by Gorka Guruzeta within the first minute. Despite a spirited comeback with goals from Robert Lewandowski (26′) and Lamine Yamal (32′), Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet leveled the score in the 49th minute, leading the game into extra time.
In the added period, Inaki Williams (105+2′) and Nico Williams (120+1′) found the net for Athletic Club, securing a semi-final spot in the Copa del Rey.
Reflecting on the defeat, Barcelona manager Xavi expressed a mix of disappointment and pride, “The feeling I have is one of disappointment because a trophy has gone, and in that way too, losing in extra time. On the other hand, I feel proud of the young players, as they were fantastic.”
He added, “The venue was very difficult as Athletic is an intense and aggressive team, the most physical in the league. We gave our all. We have to be proud because we competed. We have to take away the fact that we battled with young players, but it just did not come off. Barça has a future as this is the start of a great generation.”
This defeat comes after Barcelona’s loss in the Supercopa de Espana final against Real Madrid earlier this month. Currently, third in La Liga, Barcelona will look to bounce back when they host Villarreal on Saturday, January 27.
