Despite reports to the contrary, Tottenham Hotspur have no intention of letting record club signing Erik Lamela leave on loan this month.
In the wake of Gareth Bale’s £96million move to Real Madrid in the summer, Andre Villas-Boas was allowed to reinvest this mammoth sum into his squad at White Hart Lane. The likes of Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Christian Eriksen and Etienne Capoue were snapped up, yet none commanded a fee as high as the £30million spent on Lamela.
However, of all the new additions to the Spurs setup, none has been as disappointing as the Argentina international. Thus far, the former Roma ace has made just three starts in the Premier League, and although his total appearance tally stands at 17 in all competitions, he has so far found the back of the net just once, in the UEFA Europa League.
This has sparked speculation that the 21-year-old could be allowed to leave on loan during the January transfer window, so he can gain more experience whilst keeping him on track for the World Cup Finals this summer. These rumours reached a peak when it was reported his agent was in Italy, supposedly holding talks with Internazionale.
However, according to The Telegraph, Tim Sherwood, who replaced the sacked Villas-Boas, has no intention of letting Lamela leave anytime soon. Instead, the Spurs boss will be relying on the forward to finally show his quality in the second half of the season, as soon as he has recovered from the hip/thigh injury which is currently sidelining him.
One player who could be leaving Tottenham, though, is Heurelho Gomes. The Brazilian goalkeeper is behind Hugo Lloris and Brad Friedel in the pecking order for the first team spot, and this would likely end his ambition of appearing in the World Cup. However, the agent of the 32-year-old claims there is interest in his client.
“At the moment I have received interest from three clubs,” Alex Soares told Sky Sports. “In my view he must leave Tottenham this month. I trust Tottenham will release him for free as his contract is running out. Or, if they want him to stay, they must offer him an extension and also give him the opportunity to fight for the number 1 position.”
