Spurs to leave star out of Juventus clash as move to Italy looms

Erik Lamela Tottenham

Erik Lamela is reportedly set to be left out of Tottenham’s matchday squad for Wednesday’s crucial Champions League showdown with Juventus amid claims Inter Milan are working on a deal to sign him.

According to The Times, Mauricio Pochettino is set to start with Heung-min Son, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli at Wembley and behind Harry Kane, as Spurs look to reach the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of the Italian giants.

While Son’s inclusion at the expense of Lamela won’t come as a major surprise given the South Korean’s fine recent form, claims that the Argentine could be omitted all together will come as a surprise given the winger is something of a personal favourite of Pochettino.

The news comes after reports in Italian newspaper Tuttosport claimed Inter are keen to take advantage of the player’s contract situation, with the club’s sporting director Walter Sabbatini already sounding out his agent over a return to Italy.

Lamela currently earns a reported £65,000-a-week at Spurs, but the six-year deal he signed upon joining from Roma in August 2013 is due to expire in 2019.

Due to his struggles with form initially and then injuries more recently, the player is yet to sign a new deal and will be at a crossroads this summer when his deal has just 12 months left to run.

And with Inter reportedly opening talks to sign him, Pochettino has reportedly decided to leave him out of his side, and possibly his matchday squad, for the crunch last 16 second-leg clash.

The Argentine did start in the two clubs’ 2-2 draw last month and has made 139 appearances for the club in total since his £25.9million switch in the summer of 2013.

 

Like our dedicated Tottenham Facebook page for the latest news to your timeline