Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino secured the signing of his compatriot Giovani Lo Celso on summer transfer deadline to the relief of the fans following several weeks of negotiations.
The Argentina international midfielder joined Spurs on a season-long loan with an option to buy from La Liga side Real Betis, and has made three Premier League appearances off the bench so far.
The 23-year-old sustained a knock in the early hours of today during his country’s friendly against Chile, and Spurs will hope it isn’t a serious blow.
Lo Celso is expected to play a huge role in Pochettino’s first-team going forward, and he shouldn’t have a problem settling down soon given the Argentine contingent at Tottenham.
While the midfielder and his boss will most likely develop a very cordial relationship, the Spurs manager hasn’t ruled out both of them placing a bet due to the bitter age-long rivalry between their former clubs.
Lo Celso graduated from Rosario Central’s academy before going on to make 36 Primera División appearances for them prior to his Paris Saint-Germain move in 2016.
Pochettino made 153 league appearances for Newell’s Old Boys during his playing career, and with both sides meeting in September, the Spurs boss is looking forward to backing his old side to beat Lo Celso’s.
“The rivalry is to death, we are both very competitive,” he said to Ole with a laugh when asked about what would happen the next time the two teams play.
“Surely we are going to bet something.”
While the Argentines now work together towards a common goal, their affiliations with their hometown clubs mean they still maintain a traditional rivalry, and both of them will be eagerly looking forward to the clash in September.
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