The Basics
Age: 27
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Nation: Argentina
Position: Midfielder
Footed: Left
Under contract until: 2025
Unai Emery brought Lo Celso to PSG in the summer 2016 from Argentinian side Rosario Central, where he would remain on loan until January 2017. After taking some time to settle, he played a bigger role in the 2017/18 season, Emery’s last in Paris.
After Emery got the sack, Lo Celso was loaned out to Real Betis for the 2018/19 campaign, where he performed brilliantly, scoring nine goals, and providing four assists, leading to Betis triggering an option to buy the midfielder.
The option was exercised in April 2019, but by the end of the subsequent transfer window, Lo Celso was on the move again, joining Spurs on loan with an option to buy, which was triggered in January 2020.
He fell out of favour at Tottenham under Nuno Espirito Santo and then Antonio Conte, leading to yet another loan, this time to Villarreal, reuniting him with Emery. Lo Celso has spent the last season and a half playing for the ‘Yellow Submarine’.
Performed well at PSG having come from Argentina, then good at Betis, got the move to Spurs, hasn’t worked out, good again at Villarreal on loan.
The Links
Stretching back to April, there have been numerous reports claiming Villa (specifically Emery), is keen on bringing Lo Celso to Birmingham, and that the feeling is mutual on the Argentine’s side.
Fabrizio Romano recently reported Villa have “concrete interest” in Lo Celso, and that the player would be keen on the move but will first wait to see who Tottenham’s next manager will be.
The Scouting Report
Strengths
The most appealing attribute Lo Celso has might be his ability to play in multiple positions. Throughout his career he has been used as a central midfielder, a second striker (like Buendia/Bailey at Villa), an attacking midfielder, and a wide midfielder (Jacob Ramsey/John McGinn).
This indicates the Argentine’s intelligence, and it’s something that’s clear to see when watching him play.
In an attacking sense, this allows him to make quick and correct decisions. Lo Celso can fire off accurate balls under pressure or first time and can play clever backheeled passes to get himself out of a tight situation.
When the opportunity presents itself, he will let the ball run to take advantage of an over-aggressive defender and get past them.
The midfielder roams across the entire pitch to find pockets to receive the ball in and makes intelligent runs off the ball into vacant areas when his team are on the counter. When playing out wide he’ll and rotate with strikers and drift into central positions.
Lo Celso ranks in the 82nd percentile for passes received among midfielders in the ‘Big 5’ European leagues over the last year.
He is routinely on hand to pounce on loose balls and help his team regain controlled possession, that’s not an accident, it’s a result of his positioning.
This translates over to the defensive side as well. There is discipline to Lo Celso’s defending, he falls back into shape, cuts off passing angles and doesn’t neglect his assignment to go chasing the ball.
When playing as a wide midfielder, Lo Celso backs up his full back effectively and helps to steal the ball when opportunities arise. He can be asked to reliably mark attacking full backs and reduce their impact. He ranks in the 76th percentile for tackles.
He takes up cover positions in penalty area and can sniff out danger, checking his shoulders for runners in behind and stepping in front of passes.
There is plenty of technical quality to Lo Celso’s game, too. He’s comfortable handling the ball in tight quarters or under pressure and is often able to wriggle away.
As a ball carrier, Lo Celso shows good body control to speed up and slow down opponents and can flick the ball through their legs or over their outstretched foot to get beyond them. He often collects the ball in his own half and drives forward, leading his team up the pitch.
The midfielder ranks in the 89th percentile for progressive carries and the 95th for successful take-ons.
He shows a good turn of pace when dribbling or making runs in behind the defence.
His passing is both efficient and creative. Passes from Lo Celso are generally well-weighted and on target, and he can spot and execute through balls behind the defence.
He ranks in the 60th percentile for pass accuracy, and the 99th for shot-creating live-ball passes and expected assists (xAG).
Lo Celso also brings energy to his team; he doesn’t noticeably tire and keeps going until the last minute.
Set piece taking is another string to Lo Celso’s bow. He ranks in the 75th percentile for shot-creating dead-ball passes.
Weaknesses
The most obvious weakness in Lo Celso’s game is that he’s quite one-footed. His right foot is mostly for standing on and he’d much rather use the outside of his left instead, but this doesn’t hamper him all that much, since he uses the outside of his left foot very well.
His short striding dribbling style means the ball gets stuck under his feet at times, and this can cause him to give the ball away. He averages 2.45 miscontrols per 90 minutes, ranking him in the 3rd percentile.
Although he is a good ball carrier, Lo Celso won’t be confused for an orthodox winger who’s going to beat people down the line, he isn’t lightning quick or especially tricky.
While not a bad finisher, he has scored fewer goals than his expected goals (xG) in each of the last four seasons.
Both his non-penalty goals and xG figures are high for his position (83rd and 93rd percentile respectively), but if Villa want a true striker to operate in a front two with Ollie Watkins, Lo Celso isn’t that guy.
On the defensive side, there are instances where he over-commits and falls for fake shots and crosses, allowing his opponent to beat him inside.
Conversely there are other times when he is too passive defensively. He ranks in just the 9th percentile for interceptions, the 42nd for blocks and the 8th for clearances.
Lo Celso is a smaller player at around 5’10”, reflected in his aerial duel success rate, which ranks in the 7thpercentile.
Fit With Villa
The positional flexibility Lo Celso brings would be valuable to Villa. He could play as a second striker just off Watkins, as well as provide competition for Ramsey, McGinn, and Luiz at their positions.
His well-rounded and creative skillset could give Villa a bit more cutting edge in the final third and the ability to control possession better as well.
With Emery knowing him well, there should be less adaptation risk and Lo Celso could hit the ground running on his arrival at Villa Park. This would be a smart signing should Tottenham allow him to leave.
Similar Players
The top 10 closest statistical comparisons to Lo Celso, according to FBREF:
- Lovro Majer
- Martin Ødegaard
- Piotr Zieliński
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Luis Alberto
- Pedri
- Harvey Elliott
- Nicolò Barella
- Pascal Groß
- Federico Valverde.
The Villa Ramble 
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