Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino reveals the pressure is now on Erik Lamela to justify his price tag this season.
Lamela, 23, joined from Roma for a fee believed to be in the region of £25m in 2013, but the Argentina international has struggled to make any impact in the Premier League so far.
The Argentine winger has only managed to play a direct hand in 11 league goals (2 goals + 9 assists) since making the switch to White Hart Lane, having contributed 20 (15 goals + 5 assists) in his final season at Roma and Pochettino admits it’s time he delivered.
“We believe we can develop his game and I think we need to be patient with him,” Pochettino is quoted by BBC Sport.
“It’s true, now is the third season here, but we believe in him and we want to give the opportunity to show his value. We have a lot of games to play, for competition to show his value. We have a lot of games to play, for competition; we need a good player in all positions. I think with the squad we have, we have a very good balance.
“I think this is a key season for him. After two seasons at Tottenham, now is the moment for him. Not to put pressure, but it’s true. It’s a key moment for him to develop and to move on his game. It’s important.”
Lamela had been heavily linked with a move away from White Hart Lane at the end of the transfer window, but remained at Spurs and now has a challenge to force his way back into the team following the summer arrivals of Heung-min Son and Clinton Njie.
For more stats on Erik Lamela, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
