Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that they have exercised the option to sign Giovani Lo Celso on a permanent basis from Real Betis.

What’s the word?

Spurs signed the attacking midfielder on an initial loan deal from the Spanish club in the summer.

However, they held the option to buy him on a permanent deal in the January transfer window for a reported fee of £27.2m, a lower price than they would have had to pay in the summer.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 - how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

Sources also confirmed to Football FanCast earlier this season that Spurs would have been obligated to buy the 23-year-old had they qualified for European football this season.

They have now triggered the option to sign Lo Celso permanently and he has signed a contract with the club until 2025.

Pochettino legacy

It was Mauricio Pochettino who identified Lo Celso as a potential acquisition in the summer, per sources, and pushed chairman Daniel Levy to sign him.

Bad luck intervened, however, and the Argentine sustained a hip injury at the start of the season that restricted him to six Premier League games under his management.

He completed the 90 minutes just once; ironically that game came against Sheffield United, Pochettino’s final match in charge.

He has worked his way into Jose Mourinho’s plans, playing in all of the club’s last six league outings, putting in an exceptional performance in the FA Cup against Southampton last time out.

That led to Mourinho confirming Spurs would exercise the option to bring him in on a permanent basis.

They have Pochettino to thank.

Meanwhile, a Spurs man could leave the club for £4m this month!