Departing Tottenham on loan at the end of the January transfer window, Giovani Lo Celso could not have predicted what was to come next at Villarreal. Given an opportunity to play in the Champions League once again following his switch to Estadio de la Ceramica, the Yellow Submarine are now just two games away from the showpiece final in Paris.
Liverpool stand in their way and are the clear favourites to progress from their semi-final tie, although you certainly would not rule out the Spanish side earning a place in a second successive major European final going on their run so far. Causing a major shock in the Round of 16 with a 4-1 aggregate win over Juventus, Villarreal did it again in the quarter-finals after a late goal secured a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena and sealed a 2-1 aggregate triumph against Bayern Munich.
Lo Celso more than played his part in both successes, notably having a hand in Arnaut Danjuma's goal in their first leg win over Bayern, before doing likewise for Samuel Chukwueze's late leveller in Germany that saw them progress. Excelling in La Liga with Real Betis before his move to Tottenham in August 2019, Lo Celso's return to Spain has seen him recapture his top form after such a frustrating time in north London.
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Shining on the international stage with Argentina and now in the Champions League with Unai Emery's side, his outstanding form has left plenty of Spurs fans questioning why they never saw this version of Lo Celso in the capital. Plagued by injury in his three years at the club, his versatility may have also counted against him at times as he has been used across midfield rather than being given the opportunity to nail down a set position.
Tottenham have needed so much more from the talented midfielder in matches during his time at the club and it perhaps wasn't a surprise to see Antonio Conte part with him, albeit on a temporary basis, in January. What comes next with Lo Celso remains to be seen, although his success at Villarreal is only going to help Daniel Levy and the club if they sell him him ahead of next season.
Reports from the player's home country have already indicated that Villarreal do want to make his loan move permanent come the summer, but the Spanish side do not have an option to buy clause in the agreement they struck with Spurs back in January. They will instead have to negotiate a deal for his services and that will give Levy the upper hand in negotiations as a result.
Juan Foyth made the loan move from Tottenham to Villarreal for the 2020/21 campaign in a deal that contained an option to buy for around £13million, which the Spanish side duly took up last summer. The defender's performances and his role in helping them lift the Europa League meant they got a very good deal for Foyth, as they would have had to pay more given his success if it wasn't for the clubs having agreed that fee beforehand.
Lo Celso has hit the ground running at Villarreal and his market value will have increased as a result, especially following his displays in their stunning Champions League run. Shelling out £42m - £27.3m transfer fee + £15m loan deal - to Real Betis for the player, Levy will want to recoup as much of that figure as possible when it comes to the Argentine's eventual sale.
As much as Villarreal would like him back on a permanent deal for 2022/23, they would have to smash their transfer record of £21.15m by some way in order to get their man. Tottenham certainly won't be short of suitors for Lo Celso this summer and the player's Champions League form will only help the chairman out when it comes to bringing in as much money as possible for the midfielder if they elect to sell him.
A couple more good showings for Yellow Submarine in the Champions League against Liverpool, and Tottenham may want to increase Lo Celso's price tag by a few more million.
