Tottenham come to decision on future of Erik Lamela

Erik Lamela’s impressive return to form with Tottenham this season has convinced the club to trigger an option in his contract and extend his stay in north London.

That’s according to a report in the Independent, which suggests the Argentine was facing a career crossroads this summer until proving to Mauricio Pochettino that he is both fit enough and good enough to still do a job for Spurs.

The Argentina international joined Tottenham in a then club-record £25.8million deal from Roma in the summer of 2013, but his six-year deal was due to expire at the end of the 2018/19 season. With just 12 months left on his deal this summer, Pochettino had given serious thought to cashing in the player, but the decision to trigger the 12-month option on the former Roma star’s deal is believed to be something of a show of faith in the winger.

After a year on the sidelines with a nagging hip injury, there were plenty of question marks being asked about Lamela’s mental and physical state.

However, after returning to the first team in recent months, Lamela has made 10 starts and a further 18 appearances from the bench to prove himself again to Pochettino.

Lamela has been strongly linked with a return to Italy with Inter Milan, but it appears he may now be set for an extended stay at the club after the club opted to trigger the extension.

The Argentine is reportedly in line to start against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday after earning a spot ahead of Heung-Min Son for Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Premier League champions Manchester City.

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