Opinion: This summer should finally mark the end for Erik Lamela

With Tottenham finishing the season on a high, whilst securing a place in the inaugural Europa Conference League, many players look set to leave the N17 squad.

There is no doubt that this season has been embarrassing, with myself classing it as a 1/10, therefore it is vital that a rebuild begins in North London.  

The list is endless of who I would like to leave, including the likes of Sissoko, Dier and Winks. However, one player that I think will finally exit is the Argentine, Erik Lamela.  

Joining in August 2013, for a fee of 27 million pounds (Transfermarkt), hopes were high for the winger. With this happening in the same window as Bale’s departure to Spanish giants Real Madrid, many fans were hoping he would replace the Welshman. 

However, Lamela has never truly delivered for the Lilywhites, with Gareth Bale’s return eventually completing the cycle of replacing the former Roma man.

No one can doubt Lamela’s effort and desire, however, he has always lacked the skill, fitness and consistency for the Premier League, which is why he has to go.  

Over the course of his eight years, Lamela has played 257 games for us, scoring 37 and registering 47 assists (Transfermarkt).

We must keep this simple and say this is a shocking return for the winger. This is made even worse by the fact only 17 of these goals were in the Premier League (Transfermarkt). 

One major issue with Lamela, shown by these stats, is that he is consistently injured. According to Transfermarkt, the Argentine has missed 133 games through injury across his eight years, equalling out at basically three full seasons.

Being injured for this length of time is unacceptable for our squad. Some may call it unlucky, but football is a ‘dog eat dog’ world, therefore we have to be brutal. We can’t have such an injury-prone player within our ranks. 

Over his eight years, Lamela has scored some incredible goals, including his two rabonas against Asteras Tripolis and North London rivals, Arsenal. But this can’t take away from the truth, that pieces of sublime skill are rare from the Argentine, with his finishing being well-below par. 

With the rebuild inevitable, and Lamela leaving (hopefully), Spurs may well look to sign a new winger to fill the gap. One person that could do this job is Emiliano Buendia. 

The 24-year-old has 15 goals and 17 assists this season (transfermarkt), albeit in a lower league. Although the quality is lower, it shows he definitely has the potential to perform at the toughest level.  

However, there is no point in looking at replacements when Lamela is still in North London. Despite this, I still believe he won’t be here for much longer, with several Italian clubs interested in getting his signature (Corrieredellosport). 

I will never doubt Erik’s effort and desire, however, all things, good or bad, must come to an end. He’s never shown the true consistency to be good enough for a big six side, which is why I hope we have seen the last of the Argentine.   

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