With financial issues at AS Roma forcing them to sell players, young and talented Erik Lamela might be on his way to the Premier League. Tottenham have been the club usually mentioned with the Argentinian, but it seems that Arsenal might be in the mix as well, and probably with an advantage.
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma have reps in London trying to offload a few players, including Lamela and Miralem Pjanic. Tottenham, possibly still the busiest team in the Premier League when it comes to adding new players, have been mentioned more than once as they try to spend the potential profit from the sale of Gareth Bale with Lamela, who turned 21 during last season.
However, Arsenal, showing more and more desperation as to there transfer market activity, suddenly waking up and making moves at players, are also an option for the young forward, who usually plays on the right side of a 3-man attack, scoring 15 league goals for Roma last season.
Some suggest that Tottenham will have the advantage in the race for Lamela thanks to their director of football, Franco Baldini, who used to work at the club, but Arsenal might be able to offer Champions League football (Still in doubt at the moment), which is always a deciding factor for players as they have to decide between two clubs.
Another interesting issue will be the price. Lamela, formerly of River Plate, is valued at around €23 million, but Roma might be looking to sell him for a lot more. While Tottenahm aren’t the club to shy away from making an expensive signing if they feel it’s worth it, Arsenal are a bit less of a trigger-happy team when it comes to writing off on expensive signings, which means there’s a chance they’ll pass on an opportunity to sign a player who can really help their troubled offense.