Tottenham Hotspur winger Erik Lamela has endured a tricky time in the Premier League since his move from AS Roma in 2013, and the Argentine international could make a return to the Italian Serie A this summer in a bid to reignite his fledgling career. Juventus are one side who have been linked, but Lamela still has plans to stay at White Hart Lane.
Costing Spurs almost £30M, he 23-year-old hasn’t come close to paying off the princely sum. The Argentine has struggled for game time as a result of his poor form, and cannot replicate his Roma showings in a Tottenham shirt. The supporters have been treated to the odd glimpse of magic from Lamela, but such moments have been few and far between during his time in London.
Should Tottenham cash in on the winger this summer, its unlikely they would get back anything more than half of what they’d originally paid for him two years ago. Despite Lamela’s reticence to leave White Hart Lane, the London side have little choice but to search for interested suitors given how much he’s struggled in England, but it’s so far proven to be slim pickings.
The 23-year-old has scored just six goals in 63 appearances for the Lilywhites, and last season was in the shadows to the likes of Nacer Chadli, who cost less than half Lamela’s initial fee. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has tried to condition him to unlock his best form, but the ex-Roma starlet just hasn’t found any consistency since making the move.
He would attract a lot of abroad interest, however, with his scoring antics back in Italy ensuring clubs are paying a loose interest. Lamela scored 15 goals in 33 Serie A games in 2012/13 for Roma, which propelled his reputation at the time, and it was something of a surprise that he chose Tottenham for his next club as a result. He must be regretting the decision now, and surely a move back in the Serie A would be his wisest decision?
Prior to the White Hart Lane switch, the South American winger was regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Europe, but now sees his stock considerably diminished. For such a big outlay, Tottenham were expecting a standout star to boost their chances of Champions League participation, but instead they have an expensive flop proving hard to shift this summer, while they finish some distance from the coveted top-four.
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