Surprise Spurs man set to survive summer chop
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The way Tottenham spent the truck-load of cash they received for selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid has reaped few rewards and, as a result, the club will be looking to move on a number of the flops this summer.
Surprisingly though, the one man who should perhaps be at the top of the unwanted list is one of just three players from the maligned purchases whose Spurs future appears safe.
Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly told the Lilywhites board that he wants to keep Erik Lamela, despite the club’s record signing thoroughly underwhelming in his two seasons at White Hart Lane.
The Argentine, who cost Spurs £30m from Roma two summers ago, has managed just a pair of Premier League goals in 38 appearances for Spurs and has generally found it tough to impose his talents on English football.
Nonetheless, his compatriot manager clearly sees a future for him in the Tottenham team and has made such a feeling clear to his bosses in north London. Both Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan had been touted as potential escape routes for Lamela this summer, but both will be seemingly left empty handed from their pursuits of the 23-year-old.
Lamela’s youthfulness means that it is probably worth giving the Buenos Aires native another season’s worth of grace to see if he can finally adapt to his new surroundings, with a number of suitors sure to surface a year down the line should he fail to do so.
While Lamela, along with success stories Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli, is safe it does look to be the end of the Tottenham road for a number of other disappointing signings.
Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Vlad Chiriches and Etienne Capoue all look likely to leave Spurs at the end of the season, as the former Southampton manager seeks to put his stamp on a playing squad that could once again be a Europa League outfit next term.
Pochettino will reportedly enter the market for a centre-half, centre-midfielder and striker this summer, but will more than likely allow a number of the club’s other fringe players, including Emmanuel Adebayor, Aaron Lennon and Younes Kaboul, to leave.
Spurs head into their final assignment of the season as 15/8 shots to beat Everton, with all finishing positions between fifth and seventh still possible.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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