Tottenham Hotspur should seriously consider selling Erik Lamela in the summer

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This summer Tottenham Hotspur face a fight to keep hold of Christian Eriksen. A bargain buy from Ajax in August 2013 the club must stave off the admiring eye of Real Madrid once again. Judging by past experiences with Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, it is a tough battle.

The same day Spurs signed Eriksen in 2013 they also acquired Erik Lamela from Roma. As reported by The Guardian, however, he was not so cheap. The Argentine arrived for a then club record £30 million.

However, Tottenham should not fight to keep Lamela this summer in the same way they do Eriksen. In fact, if a good offer comes in, Spurs should seriously consider letting him go.

This may not be a popular opinion. Tottenham fans have grown an affinity to Lamela. His performances are always impassioned and, especially against Arsenal, he has the ability to get in the face of opponents.

Tottenham, however, do not have the luxury of keeping players because of popularity contests. Just look at Mousa Dembele. It is a tight budget at Spurs and if they want to keep the likes of Eriksen happy that budget will only get tighter.

For all of Lamela’s likeable qualities, his injury track record often makes him an expensive passenger. He has played just 18 times in the Premier League this season and missed the last six.

After missing most of the 2016-17 season and the start of last with a hip problem the 27-year-old is simply not reliable enough to be considered a vital member of the Tottenham team. Wages could be better off spent elsewhere and given his reputation, especially in Italy, Tottenham could receive a handsome fee for his services.

This summer, the idea of selling Lamela to make room for more necessary additions has to be considered.