José Mourinho says he wouldn't swap Giovani Lo Celso for any other player - including in-form Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes.
The Tottenham boss was speaking as his fellow Portuguese Fernandes continues prolific form at Old Trafford, which included a brace in the 3-0 win at Brighton on Tuesday.
Twenty-four-year-old Argentine Lo Celso, signed originally on loan by Mourinho's predecessor in north London Mauricio Pochettino, is yet to claim a goal or assist in 21 league games for Spurs.
😎 @LoCelsoGiovani#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/3oB8so2cAB
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 28, 2020
And yet when asked about Lo Celso's form in the context of Fernandes being linked to Tottenham last summer, Mourinho told Sky Sports News he wouldn't trade his player for anyone.
"I don't know anything about that, but if that is true, and if Giovani Lo Celso was the player that came to Spurs [instead of Bruno Fernandes], then I would say I wouldn't change Giovani Lo Celso for any player.
"[I wouldn't swap Lo Celso] for any player. It's not just for Bruno, but for any player.
"I came to the club and he wasn't playing. I think the only match he started was Red Star Belgrade away in the Champions League - apart from that he was not playing.
"When I arrived I went in other directions and he did exactly what I love a player to do: 'I'm going to show you'.
"[There was] no spoiled kid reactions, no crying, no moaning, no agents and family throwing messages to the press and to the social media. It was just between him and me: 'I'm going to show you', and he showed me step-by-step.
"The way he was working every day, the way he was coming to matches, the way he was changing matches.
"I remember the match against Liverpool: he was on the bench, he came on for the last half-an-hour and he changed the game. The only thing that didn't happen was us changing the result because we were so unlucky, but he changed the game.
West Ham United's Mark Noble and Tottenham Hotspur's Giovani Lo Celso battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London,"When he had his first start: 'Goodbye, I give you no chance and this place is mine'. In this moment, what people can see from him is an injured player playing, or a player that during the week is not working like the others.
"He's working with lots of different conditions to try to play and to try to resist until the end of the season so what you see from Gio now is not the end product - he's a fantastic player for us."
Mourinho's side, currently eighth in the Premier League standings, sit two points ahead of tonight's opponents Sheffield United ahead of their six o'clock showdown at Bramall Lane.
The former Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss also spoke in the build-up about his disdain at having to wait long periods between matches.
"I am not happy to be waiting for this match for so long.
"The perfect time in between matches I would always say is three days, especially in this moment when you are chasing your best form, your best intensity."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
