Erik Lamela was linked with a loan move from Tottenham to Southampton on deadline day.
It has been a tough couple of years for Tottenham Hotspur attacker Erik Lamela. The Argentine winger has faced critics, injury and now the form of his Spurs teammates is keeping him out of Mauricio Pochettino’s starting eleven.
The 25-year-old finally returned to first-team football in November after more than a year out with a hip injury that saw him undergo surgery on two occasions. It has seen the Argentina international plummet down the pecking order.
The likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli are the first names on Spurs’ team sheet, while South Korea international Son Heung-Min has blown away fans and pundits alike with his explosive form in the final third this season.
On Wednesday night, Lamela was given just a 10-minute cameo role against Manchester United as Spurs strolled to a 2-0 victory at Wembley Stadium. He has now clocked up just 283 minutes of top-flight action across 12 appearances.
With the January transfer window now up, could Lamela be questioning Spurs’ decision to reject a move to Premier League rivals Southampton after the Independent claimed Pochettino’s former side wanted to land Lamela on loan?
Football London reported on deadline day that Pochettino would reject any moves for Lamela from Southampton, leaving any prospected deal dead in the water, and is keen to see the former Roma winger look to earn a new contract.
But the World Cup approaching and Lamela expected to be desperate to be a part of Jorge Sampaoli’s 23-man squad for the summer tournament in Russia, surely he will feel aggrieved at Spurs for preventing his chance to shine.
Stop-start cameo roles will not give him the necessary time or consistency to impress at Spurs and a move to Southampton on loan would have been the perfect opportunity to rediscover his form, shake off any lasting effects of his long-term injury and book his place on the plane to Russia.
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