We love a story that never was at Sport Witness and today’s special is Giovani Lo Celso to Everton.
[La Nacion provide the information](https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/futbol/giovani-lo-celso-scaloni-es-de-esos-entrenadores-que-te-cambian-como-persona-nid11082025/), reporting that Everton tried to sign the Argentine midfielder when he was 15 years old.
The newspaper have a big profile piece on Lo Celso, covering his career to date and delving into his early days as a teenager before he made it to Europe.
The 29-year-old started his career with Rosario Central’s U20 side before moving into the first team and making 54 appearances in total.
Paris Saint-Germain bought him for €10m in 2016 and loaned him back to Rosario that year before taking him to Paris. Spells at Real Betis, Tottenham and Villarreal followed before he made a return to Betis in a €5m deal last summer.
He joined Tottenham in a €32m move in 2020 after shining in Spain but his time in England did not work out, with ten goals and eight assists in 108 games for the club in total.
He could have ended up in England much sooner, though, as Everton tried to secure his signature when he was just 15 years old.
_‘He started playing indoor soccer at the Regatas club, alongside Gigante de Arroyito, and field soccer at San José school,”_ La Nacion explain.
_‘He went through the pre-decima and 10th divisions at Griffa’s school, and at the age of 9th, at the end of 2010, he tried out for Central and was chosen, with ‘Coco’ Pascuttini as coordinator._
_‘At 15, he was formally tempted by Everton, England, and at 17, two other European clubs sought him out again. But he didn’t leave until he was 20, for PSG._
_‘I was lucky enough to play in my city, Rosario, and for my club, Central, almost a rarity; not many are that lucky,” Lo Celso is quoted as saying._
_‘My friends were able to come and watch me play in the First Division, without traveling… do you know how nice that is? I didn’t have to leave my town or live in a boarding house… I was fortunate. It took me a while to move away from my roots.’_