Argentine midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has signed a five-and-a-half year contract at Tottenham, keeping him in north London through to June 2025.
The 23-year-old, seen as the permanent replacement for Eriksen, arrived in August on a one-year loan from Real Betis with Spurs having an option to buy for £27m in January or £34m in the summer.
“It’s not an obligation, it’s an option. I think the boy is earning the decision. He’s making an easy decision for the club to execute the option,” Mourinho said of Lo Celso, who joined on a season-long loan from Real Betis.
“[He has shown an] incredible evolution since I arrived, he had barely played a game, I think only against Red Star Belgrade. With me it was a little bit difficult in the first couple of weeks, but he understood what we wanted.
“Good learner, good kid and I think by himself he made the decision that the club is going to execute the option. That’s normal, he earned it.”.