Pochettino said before the final in Madrid that win or lose, he did not know if he would still be at Tottenham next season. Now, after a disappointing defeat on the biggest stage of all, many fans will have been fearing that Mauricio would have had enough.
After all, the Argentinean has taken this team to the top four (again) and the Champions League final with literally zero budget. Without Levy backing him financially, how can he go any further?
The latest transfer links suggest that Poch could be sticking around though. Giovanni Lo Celso is a player that would be perfect for the manager and team and reports suggest Spurs are trying to sign him.
Lo Celso has been in incredible form in La Liga this season, scoring 9 and assisting 4. In the Europa League he’s been even better, scoring a massive 5 goals and providing one assist in his 7 appearances. Averaging a 85.7% pass success rate, Lo Celso is not afraid of making risky passes.
Similar to Dembele, who Spurs have not yet replaced, he can carry the ball between the lines and transition midfield to attack with ease. Despite not having the most physically imposing frame, it’s very difficult to take the ball off of Lo Celso and this attribute will be very useful in the Premier League.
The key for Tottenham will be that Lo Celso is an addition rather than a replacement. With Cristian Eriksen’s future uncertain, it is possible that the club are eyeing Lo Celso as a replacement for Eriksen. If that is the case then the club would be taking one step forwards and two steps back.
But traditionally Lo Celso plays in deeper areas than Eriksen so I would think he would be an addition, adding creativity and control to a midfield which sometimes lacks it. I expect he would come in for Harry Winks in the heart of the midfield and provide an instant upgrade.
We can’t be sure Pochettino is staying based on one transfer link, but signing a 23-year-old Argentinean controlling midfielder feels like a Pochettino signing. With Manchester Untied also reportedly interested, Spurs will need to move quickly and Levy get his wallet out to secure a deal which is likely to cost in the region of £50million-£60million, though some reports suggest that Spurs have already bid £62million.
