Barcelona boss Xavi has personally told his club to sign one Tottenham star who's been given a "new lease of life" by Ange Postecoglou this season.
Spurs players leaving in 2024
It's a very intriguing time at Spurs when it comes to potential exits, as limited numbers in the squad may prompt chairman Daniel Levy and the board to think twice over their decisions. Postecoglou, in the absence of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero's recent suspension, was at one point forced to play a makeshift centre-back pairing of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies.
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The Lilywhites will also be without Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur in January, with the former both travelling to represent their countries at AFCON early next year. Bentancur isn't expected back for Spurs till February as he recovers from ankle ligament damage (PA), which will leave Spurs desperately short in midfield.
Despite this, there are still rumours that Levy could move to offload certain Tottenham players. His sporting director Johan Lange may be open to selling Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, according to reports, while the out-of-favour Eric Dier could leave Spurs in January as well.
Saudi Arabian sides are taking an interest in Richarlison also, with some media sources believing they could be willing to sanction his exit (Football Insider).
Long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will be free to leave Tottenham in January to, as his contract expires in the summer, according to Sky Sports. Perhaps the most intriguing case of them all is Giovani Lo Celso, who has been repeatedly linked with a departure from Tottenham but has recently come back into the fold.
The Argentine, amid their recent injury crisis, is now playing his way into Postecoglou's favour and even scored away to Premier League champions Man City in their recent 3-3 draw at Eastlands.
Xavi "determined" to sign Lo Celso from Spurs
However, the midfielder's contract also expires in 2025, which means Levy and Lange have limited time to cash in on Lo Celso while they can demand a noteworthy fee for him.
Hamstring – 23/24
5
Shin – 21/22
2
Knee – 21/22
5
Hamstring – 20/21
2
Knock – 20/21
23
General muscle – 20/21
1
Hamstring – 20/21
2
General muscle – 19/20
1
Hip – 19/20
1
This may give Postecoglou's side a dilemma, but it's one which Barca boss Xavi is eager to solve by bringing him to the Nou Camp.
According to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, Xavi has told Barcelona to sign Lo Celso in January and is personally "determined" to seal an agreement for him.
It will be interesting to see if Spurs do opt to sell next month. While his time at the club hasn't been great overall, missing many games due to injury, journalist Paul Brown reiterates to GiveMeSport that Lo Celso has been given a "new lease of life" under Postecoglou recently.