Tottenham Hotspur’s reported Keita Balde interest a major threat to Erik Lamela

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Erik Lamela faces an uncertain future at Tottenham Hotspur with Lazio winger Keita Balde Diao in their sights.

Tottenham Hotspur’s reported approach for Lazio winger Keita Balde Diao appears ambitious in the extreme.

Spurs may be a superb destination for talented young players, with manager Mauricio Pochettino renowned for his ability to help fresh faced youngsters realise their frightening potential and moulding them into a free-flowing, fast-paced attacking unit.

Therefore, Keita, a 22-year-old winger who netted 16 times in 21 Serie A starts to help Lazio finish fifth last season, would fit right in at Wembley.

According to The Sun, Keita was furious after being left out of Lazio’s 3-2 victory over Juventus in the Italian Super Cup on Sunday, encouraging Spurs to step up their interest in a player whose contract expires next summer.

However, with Football Italia claiming that Keita has his heart set on a move to Juve, and has even rebuffed offers from both Milan clubs and Monaco, it appears Tottenham are fighting a losing battle.

Yet, the fact that Spurs are even making a move reflects just how far Erik Lamela’s stock has fallen in North London. Absent since October, the Argentine has missed the start of the season and still appears some way away from match fitness.

And, despite finally showing more consistent glimpses of his quality in 2015/16, it appears that a year on the sidelines may be hugely damaging to Lamela’s Spurs career.

Needless to say, he faces a tough challenge forcing his way back into Spurs’ starting XI with Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son thriving in his absence.

And reports that Tottenham are interested in Keita means that Pochettino is clearly not backing on Lamela returning to add much needed depth to Spurs’ frontline.