Lamela sums up Tottenham's problem
Erik Lamela is a problem, in a slow weak Italian league where he gets time on the ball he has a chance to show his talent but the Premier League doesn't afford him that luxury.
His first season was a disaster and Tottenham had hoped that sending him home to Argentina plus a full pre-season would help the club to see the best of him. Unfortunately his fellow countryman, head coach Mauricio Pochettino, has been unable to entice that talent from him.
He has given him every chance, not only by playing him but by keeping him on the field and substituting others. That now though has changed, after taking him off he is now a substitute. There has only really been the odd glimpse in the Premier League though. Against weak opposition he excels, against a Premier League defence he is found wanting. Too many times he runs up blind alleys.
When he collects the ball wide he nearly always cuts inside so we lose all width, crushing the defence close together and closing potential gaps. He proceeds to run at four defenders and loses the ball, it seems to be a common theme.
Italian clubs have been keen to take him back to Italy but Napoli's interest shows the problem we have made for ourselves and demonstrates why you don't pay any transfer fee a selling club wants. We bought him for £30 million, £26 million plus £4 million of add-ons, which are unlikely, I would have thought, to be activated.
It is being suggested that Napoli will offer £16 million for him in January. That would mean a loss of £10 million and then we'd have to pay for a replacement. Inter and Roma now value him at £14 million but would prefer to take him on loan. When you consider we have the same situation with Roberto Soldado, with Inter Milan said to be willing to offer £11 million and to a lesser extent Vlad Chiriches, financially it is disastrous for the club.
Daniel Levy has thus far insisted on getting his money back for the Romanian, but that won't happen with Lamea and Soldado. The loss could be £25 million, the price of a striker which means we will have to look to make savings on future purchases, picking up bargains instead of paying for someone with a lengthy contract and thus a top price.
The hope will be that we can buy a bargain, increase their value and make our money back, unless they are young enough to stay with us and take us to where we want to go. The next two windows are crucial to our immediate future.
His first season was a disaster and Tottenham had hoped that sending him home to Argentina plus a full pre-season would help the club to see the best of him. Unfortunately his fellow countryman, head coach Mauricio Pochettino, has been unable to entice that talent from him.
He has given him every chance, not only by playing him but by keeping him on the field and substituting others. That now though has changed, after taking him off he is now a substitute. There has only really been the odd glimpse in the Premier League though. Against weak opposition he excels, against a Premier League defence he is found wanting. Too many times he runs up blind alleys.
When he collects the ball wide he nearly always cuts inside so we lose all width, crushing the defence close together and closing potential gaps. He proceeds to run at four defenders and loses the ball, it seems to be a common theme.
Italian clubs have been keen to take him back to Italy but Napoli's interest shows the problem we have made for ourselves and demonstrates why you don't pay any transfer fee a selling club wants. We bought him for £30 million, £26 million plus £4 million of add-ons, which are unlikely, I would have thought, to be activated.
It is being suggested that Napoli will offer £16 million for him in January. That would mean a loss of £10 million and then we'd have to pay for a replacement. Inter and Roma now value him at £14 million but would prefer to take him on loan. When you consider we have the same situation with Roberto Soldado, with Inter Milan said to be willing to offer £11 million and to a lesser extent Vlad Chiriches, financially it is disastrous for the club.
Daniel Levy has thus far insisted on getting his money back for the Romanian, but that won't happen with Lamea and Soldado. The loss could be £25 million, the price of a striker which means we will have to look to make savings on future purchases, picking up bargains instead of paying for someone with a lengthy contract and thus a top price.
The hope will be that we can buy a bargain, increase their value and make our money back, unless they are young enough to stay with us and take us to where we want to go. The next two windows are crucial to our immediate future.
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