Julian Alvarez praises Erik Lamela one year after Tottenham departure

By Jordan Harris

Julian Alvarez has praised former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Erik Lamela on Manchester City’s official website, naming the attacking midfielder in an all-Argentinian XI from those who have played in the Premier League.

Alvarez, of course, was one of the stars of the show on Tuesday as Argentina booked their place in the World Cup final this weekend. The youngster scored twice in a 3-0 win over Croatia.

Upon his return to the Etihad Stadium, he will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of several of his countrymen, who have made a huge impact in the Premier League.

Julian Alvarez praises Erik Lamela

Ahead of the tournament, Alvarez was asked to put together a lineup of Argentinian players who have shone in England since the league was rebranded in 1992.

Interestingly, he left out current teammate and Spurs star Cristian Romero. But he did opt for a player Tottenham sold in 2021 in midfield.

“Lamela. He is so good. He is a former River player with great quality. As a boy, I watched him at River. I have photos with him as a kid. I choose him as a midfielder,” he told the official Manchester City website.

Lamela is going to be one of those players who will be remembered more and more fondly as time goes on. His time at Spurs looked destined to be a real disappointment.

Ultimately, he left having only scored 17 goals in 177 games in the Premier League. For a player of his ability, that is simply nowhere near enough.

However, when everything did click for Lamela, magic would often happen. And no-one will forget his incredible Rabona goal in the North London derby at the Emirates. And that was not exactly a one-off either.

He remains something of a cult-hero for what he could be capable of. Tottenham fans did not see that anywhere near often enough. But the highlight reel is certainly something special.