Introduction
Giovani Lo Celso (born 9 April 1996) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Tottenham Hotspur and the Argentina national team.
Club career
Rosario Central
Lo Celso is a youth product of Rosario Central. He made his league debut at 19 July 2015 against Vélez Sarsfield in a 0-0 home draw. On 28 February 2016, Lo Celso scored his first Rosario Central goal in a 3–0 victory over Colón, netting Rosario's first in the 6th minute. He then went on to score his second of the campaign in a 3–2 defeat to Vélez Sarsfield on 10 April 2016.
Paris Saint-Germain
On 26 July 2016, Lo Celso joined French giants Paris Saint-Germain on a five-year deal until 2021, for a fee around the margin of £8.5m. He remained at Rosario Central on loan until 31 December 2016. He made his debut for the French side on 5 April 2017 in a Coupe de France quarter final game against US Avranches. He replaced Adrien Rabiot in the 63rd minute of a 4–0 away win.
Lo Celso came on and assisted for Dani Alves’ goal in the UEFA Champions League match against Celtic FC to make the scoreline 7–1. He scored his first goal for PSG in a 3–2 Coupe de la Ligue win against Rennes on 30 January 2018.
On 8 May 2018, he scored as PSG won 2–0 against Les Herbiers VF to clinch the 2017–18 Coupe de France.
Real Betis
On 31 August 2018, Lo Celso joined La Liga side Real Betis on a season-long loan with an option to buy. Betis triggered this option on 16 April 2019 and Lo Celso joined the club on a permanent basis. During his time at the club, Lo Celso made 46 appearances in all competitions, scoring 17 goals.
Tottenham Hotspur
On 8 August 2019, Lo Celso signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan with an option to buy, after a long summer of speculation over his future. He made his debut for Tottenham as a late substitute in the second Premier League match of the season against Manchester City that ended 2–2, a match notable for a controversy over VAR and a new rule on handball introduced this season.
After three substitute appearances for the club, Lo Celso injured his hip while on international duty for Argentina. He has since returned from injury, and in his first start for Tottenham, he scored his first goal for the club, kicking off a 4–0 win over Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League, which was the first away win for Tottenham in six months. On 14 January 2020, Lo Celso scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win for Spurs against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.
Lo Celso's contract was made permanent on 28 January 2020 with the new deal running until the summer of 2025.
International career
.jpg)
Due to some impressive performances at Rosario Central, Lo Celso earned a call-up to the Argentina U23 squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. On 4 August 2016, Lo Celso made his Argentina U23 debut in a 2–0 defeat against Portugal, replacing Cristian Espinoza in the 72nd minute.
On 11 November 2017, Lo Celso made his Argentina debut in a 1–0 victory over Russia. He started the match and was replaced by Alejandro Gómez in the 59th minute. In May 2018, he was named in Argentina’s preliminary 35 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia; he was later included in the final 23-man selection for the tournament.
In May 2019, Lo Celso was included in Lionel Scaloni's final 23-man Argentina squad for the 2019 Copa América. On 28 June, in the quarter-finals of the tournament, Lo Celso scored Argentina's second goal in a 2–0 win over Venezuela, which enabled his team to advance to the semi-finals of the competition.
Personal life
Born in Rosario Argentina, Lo Celso also holds an Italian passport due to his heritage. His younger brother Francesco is also a professional footballer and currently plays for Rosario Central.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 12 July 2020
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rosario Central | 2014 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||||
| 2016 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 24 | 2 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 36 | 3 | 9 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 54 | 3 | ||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2016–17 | Ligue 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | 33 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 6 | ||
| 2018–19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 38 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 6 | ||
| Real Betis | 2018–19 | La Liga | 32 | 9 | 6 | 2 | — | 7 | 5 | — | 45 | 16 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2019–20 | Premier League | 25 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 34 | 2 | |
| Career total | 131 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 187 | 27 | ||
International
- As of match played 15 November 2019
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2017 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 1 | |
| Total | 21 | 2 | |
International goals
- Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7 September 2018 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States |  Guatemala |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 28 June 2019 | Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |  Venezuela |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2019 Copa América |
Honours
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2017–18
- Coupe de France: 2016–17, 2017–18
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2017–18
- Trophée des Champions: 2017, 2018