“Villa and Spurs’ Game-Changing Trade: Lo Celso for Ramsey Plus £20M”
Aston Villa are reportedly set to sign Giovani Lo Celso, with Tottenham acquiring Jacob Ramsey in exchange. Lo Celso, who has had limited playing time at Spurs, will be part of a deal where Tottenham will also pay £20 million to secure Ramsey, a highly-rated 23-year-old midfielder.
Villa has been active in the summer transfer window, bringing in players such as Ian Maatsen, Samuel Iling-Junior, Jaden Philogene, Enzo Barrenechea, Lewis Dobbin, Ross Barkley, and Cameron Archer. They have also sold Douglas Luiz to Juventus and Tim Iroegbunam to Everton but still need more sales to balance the books.
In addition to Ramsey’s potential departure, Unai Emery is allowing Moussa Diaby to move to Al-Ittihad for a club-record sale of £60 million. Lo Celso’s arrival will be welcomed by goalkeeper Emi Martinez, his teammate on the Argentine national team.
Lo Celso joined Spurs in 2019 but has struggled to find his place, spending loan spells at Villarreal in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. He has made 108 appearances for Spurs, with 24 last season. Emery is familiar with Lo Celso from their time at Villarreal and believes he can be an asset for Villa. Despite club-level challenges, Lo Celso remains highly regarded in Argentina, contributing to their recent Copa America success.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou praised Lo Celso in April, acknowledging his contributions but noting the realities of competition at a big club. Lo Celso, with one year left on his Spurs contract, has also been linked with Real Betis and was recommended by Lionel Messi as a potential Barcelona replacement in 2020.