LONDON, Aug 15 — Argentina international midfielder Giovani lo Celso has completed a return to Villarreal after joining the La Liga side on a loan deal until the end of the season from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, both teams said on Sunday.

Lo Celso made 19 appearances in all competitions for Spurs last season before spending the second half of the campaign at Villarreal, having fallen down the pecking order under the London side's manager, Antonio Conte.

The 26-year-old became a key player under Unai Emery, featuring 22 times and scoring once as Villarreal reached the Champions League semi-finals last season.

Lo Celso, who has also played for Rosario Central and Paris Saint-Germain, initially joined Tottenham on loan from Real Betis in 2019-20 before making the deal permanent. He has made 84 appearances and scored eight times for the London club.

Lo Celso has earned 39 caps for Argentina since his debut in 2017 and was part of the team that won the Copa America in 2021.

Villarreal, who finished seventh in LaLiga last season, kicked off their new campaign with a 3-0 win at Real Valladolid on Saturday. — Reuters