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This article is part of Football FanCast's The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...
Giovani Lo Celso has sealed a loan move to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Real Betis attacking midfielder brought an end to a long-running transfer saga on Thursday, as he completed a move to the club that includes the option for Spurs to buy him permanently, but where will he play?
On the chalkboard
Lo Celso enjoyed great success at Betis last season in 2018/19, scoring 16 times in all competitions, and he can play as both a central midfielder and an attacking midfielder.
Widely assumed to potentially be Christian Eriksen’s replacement – should the Dane leave the club – he usually plays in a deeper role than the Denmark international.
He can also play as a defensive midfielder and did so five times last season.
But the likelihood is that he will support both Eriksen and Dele Alli, who will be deployed in the No.10 role.
He scored eight goals from central midfield and seven from his role as playmaker.
Per WhoScored, this is a remarkably multi-faceted player.
He won, on average, 1.6 tackles per game in La Liga and also made 0.5 interceptions. He also averages two shots per game, 0.8 key passes and two dribbles.
Lo Celso also makes around 44.5 passes per game with a completion rate of 82.9%.
Specialise
The key thing that manager Mauricio Pochettino needs to do is find out what Lo Celso really specialises in.
His statistics are as impressive as they come and this is a young player with a massive upside.
But it remains to be seen if he will be playing as a central or an attacking midfielder.
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Indeed, Spurs have a number of options in the former role, with the likes of Moussa Sissoko, Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Winks, Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier all capable of playing in the role.
It seems likely then that Lo Celso will end up playing further forward, but the key is that Pochettino unlocks the potential within his compatriot.
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