Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left absolutely delighted by the fact that Giovani Lo Celso is going to be signed on a permanent basis.
Jose Mourinho confirmed after their 1-1 draw with Southampton in the fourth round of the FA Cup that Spurs would “execute the option” to bring him in on a permanent basis, per The London Evening Standard.
But is this revelation from Mourinho anything more than an attempt to distract from a disappointing afternoon?
Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?
They report that Spurs can pay £27m for him this month or £34m in the summer.
And Mourinho’s words have left fans over the moon just at a time when they are in need of some good news – which has suspiciously arrived.
Spurs, of course, have been in middling form in recent weeks and their draw with Saints was just the latest example of their dismal results.
Since their Boxing Day win over Brighton & Hove Albion, they have beaten Middlesbrough in an FA Cup replay and Norwich City in the Premier League. They have also drawn with Norwich, Watford and Boro and lost to Saints in the league.
While the deal to sign Lo Celso is a sensible one – he has looked tidy in midfield and registered four dribbles and four tackles against Southampton – this feels a lot like a move to distract from their poor form.
Of course, Mourinho does have history here. Steve Clarke accused him of using Mike Riley as a smokescreen for Chelsea’s poor form back in 2013, while The Irish Independent made similar remarks after the Portuguese famously blasted Eva Carneiro following a 2-2 draw with Swansea City.
It could even be argued that Mourinho’s whole “Special One” persona – albeit now essentially defunct – was a distraction technique to take the pressure away from players by placing it on himself.
Nevertheless, fans have every right to be happy at the moment as Lo Celso is clearly a talented player; they ought to just hope that results turn around quickly as well.
Meanwhile, another Spurs target could be an ace in the penalty area!
