Tottenham should see how much AC Milan are willing to pay for Erik Lamela
Erik Lamela is a valuable member of Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham squad. Spurs certainly shouldn’t sell him for a trivial transfer fee. The club should, however, see what AC Milan might be willing to pay for the Argentine star.
Reports from Italy claim that AC Milan are preparing a £22 million bid for The Spurs midfielder this January. The new ownership at Milan are keen to invest significant funds to boost the club’s midfield during the winter window. Lamela is one of a number of Premier League targets that the Italian club are monitoring.
Those same reports also indicate that Pochettino will flatly refuse any offer to poach his attacker this January. While I agree that he shouldn’t entertain a deal for Lamela at £22 million, I think Daniel Levy and company should engage AC Milan in more significant conversations.
My basic premise here is that while Lamela is a valuable member of the squad, he shouldn’t be considered untouchable. There is certainly a price where I’d encourage the club to part with the talented attacker. Why not see if AC Milan would be willing to pay the appropriate fee?
After all, there have been wild rumors of their interest in spending gigantic transfer fees this winter. Don’t forget, they were also rumored with an £80 million bid for Harry Kane several weeks ago. They clearly wouldn’t offer that much for Lamela, but there’s a large gap between their first offer and the cash they were willing to spend on Kane.
The reality is that Milan are flush with cash and their fans know it. They have to bring in big-name talent this January to satisfy their passionate fan base. That pressure makes them ripe to overpay in the transfer market.
Pochettino shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss their interest in Lamela. It could be a unique opportunity to receive a huge infusion of cash that could be invested elsewhere in the squad. You can be sure that Pochettino has his eyes on a few transfer targets of his own.
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There’s really no downside for Tottenham if they conduct negotiations quietly. They can quote a price to AC Milan that would allow them to upgrade the squad. If the Serie A club wants to meet their asking price, then Lamela will be on his way back to Italy. If not, Tottenham will happily keep him at White Hart Lane.
Erik Lamela is a valuable member of the Tottenham squad, but the club shouldn’t dismiss AC Milan’s interest in the Argentine without seeing how much they’re really willing to pay.