Aston Villa is reportedly on the brink of a swap deal with Tottenham that will see Jacob Ramsey move to North London, while Giovani Lo Celso lands in Birmingham. This transfer is set to delight Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who plays alongside Lo Celso at the international level for Argentina.
Tottenham is prepared to use Lo Celso as a bargaining chip in their bid to sign Ramsey. Reports from Argentina suggest that Spurs will pay £20 million plus Lo Celso to secure 23-year-old midfielder Ramsey, who has been highly praised within football circles.
Lo Celso joined Spurs in 2019 but has struggled to find his footing over the past five years. He was loaned out twice during this period - once each in 2021/22 and 2022/23 - both times landing at Villarreal. Despite these challenges, he remains highly regarded in his home country of Argentina.
Aston Villa's busy summer
Villa has been active during this summer transfer window, signing Ian Maatsen, Samuel Iling-Junior, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Enzo Barrenechea, Lewis Dobbin, Ross Barkley and Cameron Archer. However, they have also sold Douglas Luiz to Juventus and Tim Iroegbunam to Everton which necessitates balancing their books with more sales.
In addition to sanctioning Ramsey's departure Unai Emery is also allowing Moussa Diaby's move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad for a club-record sale of £60m.
The arrival of Giovani Lo Celso
The arrival of Giovani Lo Celso at Villa Park will be warmly welcomed by goalkeeper Emi Martinez due his familiarity with him from their time together playing for Argentina internationally. Despite struggling at club level with Spurs over the last five years making only 108 appearances, Lo Celso has been a key player for Argentina. He made five appearances in their recent Copa America success, even contributing an assist in the 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final.
Unai Emery is familiar with Lo Celso from his time at Villarreal and clearly believes he can be a valuable addition to Villa's squad. Lo Celso has one year left on his Spurs contract and has been linked with Real Betis as well as Villa. His high standing in Argentina is evident by Lionel Messi recommending him to Barcelona as a replacement when he left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2020.
This swap deal between Aston Villa and Tottenham could prove beneficial for both clubs. For Aston Villa, they gain an experienced international player who could bring new dynamics to their team while Tottenham acquires a promising young talent who could bolster their midfield options.
