Napoli have reportedly touched base with Tottenham Hotspur to discuss a possible move for Argentine midfielder Giovani Lo Celso this summer.
The 27-year-old has returned to North London after a productive 18 months on loan with Villarreal, but his future is currently in limbo.
Lo Celso is still under contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for another two years, and he has been included in the Lilywhites' squad for their pre-season tour of Asia and the Pacific.
While the former Real Betis man will likely be given the chance to prove his worth to Ange Postecoglou, a sale could be on the cards if he cannot force his way into the Australian's good books.
A reunion with former Villarreal head coach Unai Emery at Aston Villa has been mooted, after the duo worked together to help the Yellow Submarine reach the semi-finals of the 2021-22 Champions League.
Barcelona manager Xavi is also said to have requested the signing of Lo Celso, but according to Gianluca Di Marzio, Napoli have now made their first move to bring the Argentina international to Italy.
The report claims that Napoli have proposed a loan deal with an option to buy, but Spurs either want an obligation to buy to be included or for Napoli to take him off their hands permanently this summer.
As a result, the two parties are still some way off reaching an agreement, but talks are expected to continue as Napoli bid to reinforce their midfield with a second Tottenham loanee in the space of two seasons.
The Partenopei took Tanguy Ndombele on loan from the Lilywhites for their triumphant 2022-23 season, and the Frenchman was a regular under Luciano Spalletti with 40 appearances in all competitions.
However, Ndombele only made eight Serie A starts during Napoli's run to the Scudetto, and the Partenopei unsurprisingly did not pursue a permanent deal for Spurs' record signing.
Nevertheless, Postecoglou has opened the door for Ndombele to reignite his Tottenham career, and the same can be said for Lo Celso as Spurs ramp up their pre-season preparations.
Tottenham will meet West Ham United in their first friendly of the summer in Perth on Tuesday, before pitting their wits against Leicester City in Thailand on July 23 and Lion City Sailors in Singapore on July 26 respectively.
Postecoglou's side return home to meet Shakhtar Donetsk in a charity friendly on August 6, before rounding off their exhibition period against Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy two days later.
Lo Celso initially joined Tottenham on loan in the summer of 2019 from Betis, and the North London giants made his stay permanent for a €32m (£27.5m) fee one year later.
The 27-year-old has since registered eight goals and six assists in 84 matches for Tottenham, who cannot offer him European football next term following their eighth-placed finish in the Premier League. body check tags ::
