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Atletico Madrid out to pinch Giovani Lo Celso from Villarreal as Spurs demand £17m for playmaker after successful loan
ATLETICO MADRID have joined Villarreal in the race to sign Giovani Lo Celso from Tottenham, according to reports.
The Argentine excelled with the Yellow Submarine after being loaned to Spain by Spurs in January.
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He helped them reach the Champions League semi-finals during his five months under Unai Emery.
Villarreal are eager to make the move permanent, but have struggled to agree a deal with Tottenham.
The Lilywhites are reportedly willing to accept £17million for the man they spent around £45m on three summers ago.
But Emery and Co are yet to stump up the cash, which could open the door to Atletico.
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According to , Diego Simeone is a big fan of his compatriot.
They claim that Atletico tracked Lo Celso during his Real Betis days, but were beaten to his signature by Tottenham in 2019.
Simeone and Co could now go back in for Lo Celso, who they believe would fit perfectly into their team.
The midfielder made nine Premier League appearances during the first half of the season, before being deemed surplus to requirements by Antonio Conte.
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He then played 22 times for Villarreal, including in famous Champions League wins over Juventus and Bayern Munich.
Other reports suggest that Tottenham could use Lo Celso as bait in their bid to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres.
Spurs look set to replace the outgoing star with Brighton ace Yves Bissouma.
The 25-year-old underwent a medical at Hotspur Way on Thursday ahead of a £25m switch from the South Coast.
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In addition to Lo Celso, Atletico are also interested in signing Valencia ace Carlos Soler to further bolster their midfield.
They will also have to make a decision regarding Saul Niguez, who has returned after flopping on loan at Chelsea last season.
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