Giovani Lo Celso: The Perfect Winter Addition for Paris Saint-Germain

When Paris Saint-Germain signed Lucas Moura from Sao Paulo for €45 million in 2012, although he would return to Brazil until 2013, the deal was headline news.

This summer, they returned to South America to complete a similar deal with Rosario Central for Giovani Lo Celso, and in December, Parisians will get a glimpse of their new Argentinian playmaker.

The deal for the 20-year-old wasn’t deemed to be as much of a blockbuster move as the one for the Brazilian. However, when you watch the youngster on the pitch, there are reasons to be excited about his imminent arrival in the French capital.

After Hatem Ben Arfa, Thomas Meunier and Grzegorz Krychowiak, Lo Celso became the club’s fourth summer signing, but as part of the deal, he returned on loan to Rosario Central.

"I'm delighted to have signed for Paris Saint-Germain," the attacker told PSG's official website. "I will soon join one of Europe's most important clubs, with a squad comprising numerous great players, including my compatriots Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore."

Born in Rosario—as was Lionel Messi—he may have only made his senior debut in July 2015, but the left-footed player has been making waves in the Primera Division. He continued:

"

I hope to follow in [Di Maria and Pastore's] footsteps and become a key player for my future club. I would like to thank Paris Saint-Germain for the faith they have shown in me and also the club where I came through the ranks, Rosario Central, which allowed me to fulfil my dream of becoming a footballer.

"

His career is still in its infancy, but there is more than enough to get excited about. In 29 league appearances, he has scored twice, adding eight assists.

Lo Celso also played nine times, with one assist, as Rosario reached the quarter-finals of the 2016 Copa Libertadores.

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For someone so young, the experience of playing in such a high-profile competition will be invaluable as he progresses. He was also part of Argentina’s squad for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the summer, playing three times. That tournament offered another chance for him to grow, not only as a footballer but as a person.

"I am looking forward to welcoming Giovani Lo Celso to Paris Saint-Germain,” Nasser Al-Khelaifi, PSG’s CEO told the club's official website. “He is one of the most promising young Argentinian players, and his arrival in a few months from now will maintain the very special link between the club and South American football.”

When he arrives in Paris, Lo Celso will still be inexperienced and raw, but as the club CEO alluded too, there is a strong South America connection at the club, and that can only help settle the youngster into his new surroundings.

Di Maria is not only a compatriot and a similar style of player—it is understood that the families of both players are friends and neighbours. Undoubtedly, that would have helped the Parisians when Lo Celso was deciding where his future lay.

"There's a smaller squad," Juan Lo Celso, his father, told Le Parisien in April (h/t Mark Rodden of ESPN FC). "In the short term, for Giovani, the chances of playing and proving himself are better at PSG. In Rome, he could stay on the bench or be loaned to another club.

"I saw a club with a huge hunger for glory, with an intensity that I didn't find elsewhere, and that pleased me a lot. It's a nice challenge to take on."

Although there are dozens of YouTube highlights of Lo Celso available for all PSG fans to indulge in before he steps on to the Parc des Princes field, you never quite get a real feel for the player.

Yet when you speak to journalists who cover football in Argentina, they are all in agreement that the 20-year-old is a special talent.

“He is an elegant, left-footed attacking midfielder from Argentina—it all sounds somewhat familiar—and PSG have taken no chances by moving early for the talented youngster,” South American football expert Chris Atkins told Bleacher Report.

"Comparisons with fellow Rosario native Di Maria are natural given his destination, and while he is less bustling than his compatriot, there is a similar flair to his attacking game."

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What you instantly see from Lo Celso is guile and intelligence. He is light on his feet. With a flick or a touch, he glides past defenders. He loves to use his left foot to lift the ball over the legs of defenders, quite often drawing fouls.

“Succeeding at PSG will not be easy,” Atkins continued. “Others who are more established have taken time to settle. The heavy South American influence at the club should aid his cause, but competition for places means there is no guarantee of longevity in Paris—however talented.”

Journalist Joel Richards, when asked by Bleacher Report about Lo Celso, called him "wildly talented." Fryer continued: “He is very one-footed, though that’s not necessarily a weakness.”

That is an element of his game that stands out when you watch the playmaker. He loves to use the outside of his left foot, almost as a substitute for his right.

However, at times, when he’s forced to use his weaker foot to pass or cross, he can lose possession. If the defence blocks him in or he tries to play himself out of trouble, his ability on his right side can let him down.

"Playing at Central, rather than Boca Juniors or River Plate, he’s also been protected from the hype machine," Richards said. "Although, it will be interesting to see how he copes with the jump up from the Primera Division in terms of pressure, expectation and the pace of the game."

Richards believes that joining PSG with Unai Emery as his coach will be of great benefit to the youngster.

Yet it will be interesting to see how the Spaniard uses the Argentinian talent. At the start of the campaign, playing 4-2-3-1, you could see Lo Celso playing as the No. 10, using his pace on the break.

Recently, Emery has reverted to 4-3-3, meaning his flair players have had to start out wide. You would perhaps want Lo Celso to play on the right, cutting inside. That’s what Di Maria did so well under former manager Laurent Blanc, yet the new boss has moved him to the left.

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PSG started season playing 4-2-3-1 & spent summer preparing to play that formation. Right now, it looks totally abandoned. #LUDPSG #UCL

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) September 28, 2016"

Playing in the hole behind Edinson Cavani, especially with Pastore's continued injury problems, Lo Celso could blossom, dancing in between French defences.

PSG have missed that craft, quickness and, more importantly, the ability to create something out of nothing.

The perfect example of the Rosario man being able to do that came recently against Racing Club. Fed the ball on the edge of the penalty area, he had four defenders in front of him. Before they could pounce, Lo Celso delicately chipped the ball between them for Marco Ruben, but the striker dragged his shot wide.

That spark has been missing from the French champions this season. If he settles quickly and can adapt his game to Ligue 1, PSG may have the perfect winter addition on their hands.