Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed all claims that Erik Lamela is set to leave the club as it’s “impossible” to consider it while he’s injured.
The Argentina playmaker has been ruled out for the rest of this season as he is set to undergo surgery on his injured hip which has kept him sidelined for much of the campaign.
As noted by ESPN FC, he arrived in a £30m deal from Roma in 2014, and there have been murmurs that the 25-year-old may have played his last game for the club.
A combination of nothing being announced by the club or player coupled with the fact that his contract expires next summer, there are grounds for that rumour. However, Pochettino is seemingly keen to dismiss them and seems to think it’s quite funny how the speculation starts.
“That was so strange to hear. In the media Lamela is linked with different clubs — it’s difficult for me to understand.
“It’s a player who has not played since October. And all that he is suffering in the last four or five months — do you think that he is thinking to move? That he is thinking to go to Italy? He is very happy here.
“But it made me laugh every time I heard all that in the media. Because it is impossible for him, impossible for the club, impossible for his agent, impossible for his people, to think about moving. Where?”
Lamela had made a promising start to the season with two goals and seven assists in 14 appearances in all competitions, but ultimately he hasn’t been able to meet expectations in general since his move from the Italian capital.
Injuries have been a major factor in that, but regardless, Pochettino sounded relatively certain that Lamela won’t be going anywhere any time soon.