According to Daily Star, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to sell Erik Lamela this summer. Manager Jose Mourinho is desperate to sign Willian. However, with chairman Daniel Levy unwilling to sanction a move for the Brazilian, he has asked the Portuguese to get rid of at least one attacking star.
Lamela is topping the list of potential departures. The report further claims that Tottenham are, in fact, willing to offload the Argentine international for a fee of £20 million.
Does Lamela have a future at Tottenham?
From a practical perspective, Tottenham Hotspur do have a wealth of options in the wide attacking department. The Lilywhites notably signed Steven Bergwijn in the transfer window, and he has already made quite an impact in the Premier League. Moreover, the Dutchman isn’t the only player who can operate in the wider areas of the pitch.
He is joined by Giovani Lo Celso, Son Heung-Min, Lucas Moura and Ryan Sessegnon, all of who can play on the flanks. This is partly a reason why Lamela has struggled to find regular game-time in recent years.
Additionally, given the impact players like Lo Celso and Bergwijn have had, it is unlikely that the Argentine will be able to establish himself as a first-team regular anytime soon. Not to mention, Spurs are set to be boosted by the return of Son at the start of next season, thus further reducing Lamela’s chances of breaking into the side.
Is Willian a suitable replacement for Lamela?
Offloading Lamela in favour of Willian could be beneficial for Tottenham in many aspects. The latter is, without a doubt, one of the most consistent attackers in the Premier League at the moment. He is much more experienced at the highest level of football, having made 326 competitive appearances for Chelsea.
On top of that, Willian has been consistently playing in the Premier League ever since his move to Stamford Bridge, unlike Lamela, who has often struggled to cope with competition and injuries throughout his career in England.
Also, the Brazilian ace has an excellent relationship with Mourinho. The ex-Real Madrid boss was the one who brought him to Chelsea back in 2013, and their understanding could help Willian prosper at Tottenham.
He can build a strong attacking partnership with the likes of Son and Lo Celso in the final third, once again making Spurs one of the most feared attacking teams in Europe. Hence, the Premier League outfit must offload Lamela if they are to secure the services of the Chelsea veteran this summer.
