The print edition of ABC Sevilla (24/11/22 as relayed by Sport Witness) has revealed that Real Betis and Paris Saint-Germain are in the middle of a legal battle over Giovani Lo Celso’s transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.
Lo Celso initially joined Betis on loan from PSG in the summer of 2018, with the La Liga club making the move permanent in 2019 before selling the midfielder to Spurs the same summer.
ABC Sevilla reveal that according to the agreement of the Argentine’s move to Betis, PSG were entitled to receive 25 per cent of the proceeds from the player’s future sale.
It is explained that Tottenham initially signed Lo Celso on loan with an option to buy before making the deal permanent in January 2020, with the total operation costing €48m (£41.2m).
The report states that Betis paid 25% of the transfer fee to the Parisians but did not pay the same percentage of the loan fee they received from Spurs for Lo Celso.
As a result, PSG claim that the Spanish club still owe them €2.6 (£2.2m) plus five per cent interest, with the Ligue 1 club approaching The Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] to settle the dispute.
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It is explained that CAS already held a hearing on the issue on November 2021 and a second hearing will take place before December 31, 2022.
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It appears as if Betis’ decision to loan Lo Celso out to Spurs before making the move permanent, might have been an accounting trick to reduce the fee owed to PSG, which might be why the Ligue 1 club are accusing the Spanish club of foul play.
Either way, this does not affect Tottenham in any manner as the dispute seemingly has to do with the nature of the sell-on clause agreed between PSG to Betis during Lo Celso’s switch from France to Spain.
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