One of the juicy topics of this summer is the speculations about Gareth Bale alongside a certain Liverpool striker. The 24-year old Welshman has promoted himself to such a distinct level that the whole football world is eager to see which jersey he wears the upcoming season.
It all started in 2010-11 UEFA Champions League. He astonished the fans and the critics by his magnanimous performance against the Inter Milan on both occasions. While he scored three goals, he also assisted his teammates twice to find the net. That was the beginning of a new prolific player, whom Spurs bought on a meagre £7m from Southampton on 2007.
But now, the speedster is linked up with Spanish giants Real Madrid. And much to that, the Galacticos are looking to buy him on a staggering amount, which may become a record-breaking transfer fee. In such a scenario, Spurs manager Ander Villas-Boas must have already started to figure out the potential alternatives.
One of the potential replacements can surely be the Argentine starlet Erik Lamela. The 21-year old Lamela currently plays for Serie A side AS Roma. As a promising right sided midfielder, he played according to his fame last season. Lamela found the back of the net 15 times adding 6 assists for his team mates in the 35 appearances he made. Although not as flamboyant as Bale, yet he can fit into AVB’s favourite 4-3-3 format.
Last season in Serie A, he converted 15 chances into goals out of 56 chances created. With an average passing length of 15m and an average pass accuracy of 82%, he can well storm the Premier League by his astonishing talent.
However, forget the stats, on a footballing basis – how good is Lamela? Don’t forgot the Bale is definitely irreplaceable for Spurs for the time being, but they will have to cope with it. A 6ft, versatile dribbler who likes to cut in from the right wing and have a go at the goal, a similar role that Bale used to play at the fag end of the last season. For the alleged fee of, that is somewhere around £20-25 million, Lamela would fit the bill perfectly for AVB to try and create a team which does not depend on the Welsh man solely.
However, the North London club may probably get a barricade from the Roma as according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini is due to meet with Lamela’s agent to discuss a extension that would see the 21-year-old remain with the club until the end of 2018.
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