Ange Postecoglou blocks January exit of 27y/o Tottenham star and set to start him vs Aston Villa

Barcelona will see any attempt to sign Giovani Lo Celso in the winter transfer window turned away following the injury to James Maddison.

The Argentine midfielder has been high on the transfer list of Barcelona and a serious injury to Gavi has seen discussion for Lo Celso amplified.

But Tottenham have their own plans with the 27-year-old now expected to be handed a leading role due to injury to some of Ange Postecoglou's players.

According to the Evening Standard Spurs have ruled out a January exit for Lo Celso which is expected to put an end to speculations surrounding his future.

Lo Celso has struggled to fully establish himself at Spurs since his £55million move from Real Betis in 2019, but is set to play a key role in the squad in the coming months.

Tottenham have lost their last two games going into the international break but the biggest loss were the injuries to Micky van de Ven and James Maddison with both now expected to be out until at least the new year.

They also had Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie sent off even though the young Italian defender is only now expected to return for the game against Unai Emery's side.

Spurs have surprised many with the kind of start they have had under Ange Postecoglou but there was always the feeling that this would be the test especially when they lost some members of the first team.