Category Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur avoided a potential banana skin to commence their FA Cup campaign with victory over Burnley, indebted to Pedro Porro's wonder strike late into the second half.

Vincent Kompany's Clarets were both resilient and spirited and had squandered a couple of good opportunities – notably with Zeki Amdouni firing over in the first half – but Ange Postecoglou's decision to name a strong team paid off.

Porro was praised for his "unstoppable thunderbolt" by commentator Conor McNamara and rightly so; Spurs faced the growing possibility of a replay – or worse – as the closing stage drew near, but the Spaniard ensured his side advanced.

Pedro Porro's game vs Burnley in numbers

Porro is in with a shout for Tottenham's standout player of the season so far, having now posted one goal and six assists across all competitions.

With the hosts in need of some inspiration, the 24-year-old popped up with a pivotal moment after winning the ball and sending a fierce strike hurtling into the top corner, Arijanet Muric dumbfounded and inanimate.

Pedro Porro: Stats vs Burnley
Stat	#
Minutes played	90'
Goals	1
Touches	119
Accurate passes	59/71 (83%)
Key passes	3
Dribble attempts	2/3 (66%)
Ground duels won	8/13 (62%)
Tackles	4
Clearances	1
Interceptions	3
*Sourced via Sofascore

Handing him a 9/10 match rating, the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick summed up the impressive display, writing: 'Won the match with a brilliant screamer. Was Spurs' most creative player before then, pinging a number of eye-catching diagonals towards Johnson.'

With Tottenham now through to the fourth round, Porro has demonstrated his worth once again as a key component to this exciting project, and while he was immense, the attempt of Rodrigo Bentancur in the centre of the park was perhaps more galvanising for the Spurs squad.

Rodrigo Bentancur's performance vs Burnley

2023 was not friendly to Bentancur but the Uruguayan will now be hoping that his recent return from injury has ended the incessant issues that have left him sidelined.

Starting against Bournemouth in the Premier League on New Year's Eve, the £75k-per-week midfielder was handed a role from the outset once again but this time produced a commanding showing to remind supporters of his quality.

As per Sofascore, Bentancur indeed flourished from his deep-lying role, winning six of his ten ground duels, taking 83 touches, completing 86% of his passes (only losing possession 11 times) and creating two key passes.

He also succeeded with four of his five attempted dribbles on the evening to showcase a progressive quality that can serve as a penetrative tool to break and stretch opposing lines.

Kilpatrick handed Bentancur an 8/10 match score, and given the scant match action he has had over the past year, this is most promising: 'The captain for the night was quietly impressive at the base of midfield. His return to fitness ahead of schedule has been a major boost for Spurs.'

While Spurs weren't at their best, there is plenty to take from the win and Postecoglou will now look forward to the return of Premier League football, continuing their restored form.

Phil Parkinson does not see any evidence of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney tax at Wrexham, with transfer talks unearthing no inflated asking prices.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Hollywood superstars in North Wales
• Pumping funds into Red Dragons
• More business to complete this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There have been suggestions that the Red Dragons will find it difficult to pay the going rate for targets when selling clubs know that Hollywood millions are funding the recruitment drive in question. Several clubs higher up the Football League ladder have faced similar situations when it comes to wealthy owners.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham are determined to get fresh faces into SToK Racecourse this summer, after securing promotion into League One, with talks well underway when it comes to identifying and approaching potential additions. The Red Dragons are making it clear that they will not overspend on any player in their sights.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Parkinson has said of transfer business and how he expects the summer market to play out: “Like I have said before, the way we have operated is that we identify the player and then a deal is put in place. We then decide whether it represents good value and if it does, then we try and get it over the line. If it doesn't then obviously we move away as we have done in the past for various reasons.

  “We haven't got to the stage of the summer of talking about fees and things like that. We are just looking at the players who are out of contract and the ones who have got one year left. Obviously we have done a lot of homework in the previous weeks as well. The clubs we will be competing with for those players will have equal spending power so I haven't really sensed that at the moment that people are trying to inflate the price because it is Wrexham.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  While being in a position to outspend every opponent in the National League and League Two, that will not be the case in the third tier of English football. That could work in Wrexham’s favour when it comes to transfer discussions, with Reynolds and McElhenney admitting that further investment will be required at some stage as the club continues to chase down the ultimate end goal of reaching the Premier League.

Aston Villa are currently riding high in the Premier League following some excellent wins in the previous few weeks, but they will take a break from the top flight this weekend.

The Midlands outfit face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup third round this evening and Unai Emery will see the competition as an ideal chance to end Villa’s 28-year major trophy drought.

While the Spaniard will likely make a few changes, it may be limited to just three or four as he will be looking for the club to continue building momentum.

Latest Aston Villa transfer news: Unai eyes £40m deal; Saudi club want star

It’s a huge summer for Aston Villa and Unai Emery as they prepare for the Champions League.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 11, 2024 Aston Villa team news vs Middlesbrough

The manager confirmed that Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Bertrand Traore, Youri Tielemans and Robin Olsen are all unavailable against Boro this evening while speaking to the media.

Having lost at this stage of the cup to Stevenage last season in what was one of the shocks of the third round, Emery will be looking to avoid a similar scenario in the north-east tonight.

Despite missing a few players, Villa welcome back Boubacar Kamara following his three-game suspension, and he should be going straight back into the starting XI against the Championship outfit after not being available against Burnley.

Boubacar Kamara’s statistics this season

The Frenchman has been an integral cog in Emery’s Villa machine this season and despite missing six matches across all competitions – four of those coming due to suspension – Kamara has started 22 of the 23 matches he has played in this term.

He has been particularly impressive in the Premier League and among the squad, he currently ranks fifth for accurate passes per game (46) along with ranking sixth for key passes per game (1.2), first for both tackles per game (2.3), and interceptions per game (1.1), which proves how important he is in midfield, especially from a defensive viewpoint.

90

55

One

Two

One

Eight

His 90% pass success rate ensures he can dictate the game from deep, and with players such as John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, and Leon Bailey often playing alongside him in the midfield, he doesn’t need to push forward often.

Indeed, football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously lavished the 24-year-old during his previous spell at Marseille, labelling him a “high-quality midfield controller” and his performances this season have certainly justified such high praise.

The £150k-per-week gem also ranks in the top 10% for pass completion rate per 90 (88.3%) when compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues and this indicates that he not only is among the best at his current club, but correspondingly on the continent too.

Having not played since being sent off against Brentford midway through December, Kamara will undoubtedly be slightly rusty, yet the clash against second tier opposition represents an ideal chance for him to build up match fitness ahead of a league match against Everton next week.

His inclusion will give Villa the edge in what could turn into a nervy encounter, especially if they do not score in the first half.

With the chance to secure progression in a tournament that the club have not won since 1957, Emery will be doing everything he can to ensure the Midlands side make it through to the fourth round tonight.

Manchester United have made contact to express their interest in a move to sign a central talisman in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

The Red Devils have made an extremely mixed start to the new campaign having won nine and lost seven of their opening 16 games in thePremier League, although they are still firmly in contention to secure a place in the top four should they start picking up results on a more consistent basis.

Ahead of the upcoming window opening, Erik ten Hag will know that he needs to strengthen his squad should he want to try and qualify for the Champions League, and with Sofyan Amrabat having been nothing short of underwhelming following his summer arrival on loan, defensive midfield is a position that needs addressing.

Fulham’s Joao Palhinha has been identified as a potential candidate by the manager, with the 28-year-old having firmly established himself as Marco Silva’s overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.18 (Fulham statistics).

July 4, 2022

Sporting CP

Fulham

Jul 31, 2020

SC Braga

Sporting CP (end of loan)

Aug 7, 2018

Sporting CP

SC Braga (loan)

The Portugal international came extremely close to joining Bayern Munich over the summer, but with a deal collapsing on deadline day despite him travelling for a medical, he ended up remaining at Craven Cottage, and his impressive performances have brought him onto the radar of other clubs in the top-flight.

Man United hoping to land Palhinha

According to Football Transfers, Man United are interested in Palhinha and have made Fulham aware that they would be keen to secure his services in January.

“Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all expressed their desire to sign Palhinha in recent weeks, with FootballTransfers exclusively reporting that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are set to turn their attention to the Fulham man after learning Aston Villa’s asking price for Douglas Luiz. Sources have informed us that Palhinha may cost €58 million (£50m) in 2024, with a January move on the cards if a suitable bid is tabled.”

Palhinha could be a "monster" for Ten Hag

As it stands, Palhinha ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles so he loves to get stuck into challenges to try and win back possession for his team, but he’s also more than capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch (FBRef – Palhinha statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 2, Lisbon’s native has already posted three contributions (two goals and one assist), in 14 Premier League appearances this season, so considering how effective he can be both defensively and offensively, he’s such a well-rounded player.

Sponsored by Adidas, Ten Hag’s target even knows what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level because he has secured five pieces of silverware since the start of his career, so he will possess the winning mentality required to achieve what is expected of him at Old Trafford.

As dubbed by Video and Data Analyst Marcus Bring, Palhinha is a “defensive monster”, and when you look at all of the positive qualities that he could bring to the side, Man United have a no-brainer of a decision to make should the opportunity present itself in the coming weeks.

Jhye Richardson bagged his second five-wicket haul in as many matches as he ran through the New South Wales line-up

Alex Malcolm27-Nov-2018

Jhye Richardson celebrates the wicket of Travis Dean•Getty Images

A career-best eight-wicket haul from Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson overshadowed Kurtis Patterson’s first Sheffield Shield century in two years on an even first day at Perth Stadium.Richardson’s figures of 8 for 47 is the joint-third best by a Western Australian bowler in Shield cricket, alongside Steve Magoffin, behind Ian Brayshaw’s 10 for 44 and Jason Behrendorff’s 9 for 37.In the first-ever Sheffield Shield match played at the venue, just a couple of weeks out from the debut Test, Richardson showed the value of pace and swing on the drop-in surface while Patterson showed that runs were possible with patience and skill.WA skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bowl on a surface with plenty of grass. Matt Kelly made the early breakthrough before Nick Larkin and Patterson put together a 57-run stand. Larkin enjoyed some fortune, dropped at second slip off Cameron Green, before Richardson wreaked havoc.He took three wickets in a four-over burst claiming Larkin, Moises Henriques and Jason Sangha.Patterson was then involved in another 57-run partnership with Peter Nevill, who contributed just 8, before Richardson returned again to change the game. He got Nevill and Jack Edwards in four balls to bag his second five-wicket haul in as many matches.When Trent Copeland fell, the Blues were 7 for 140 but Patterson found an ally in Sean Abbott. The pair put on a century stand, with Abbott making 69. Patterson was 95 when Kelly removed Abbott.He reached his sixth Shield century off Richardson before the tearaway claimed the last two. Nathan Lyon was out to a staggering one-handed catch from Hilton Cartwright at point.WA had to face one over before stumps and their opening duo of the season, William Bosisto and Cartwright, survived.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras faz o primeiro jogo do ano pelo Campeonato Brasileiro neste sábado (9) contra o Sport, na Ilha do Retiro às 19h (horário de Brasília). Adversário entre os compromissos diante do River Plate, pela semifinal da Copa Libertadores, a partida em Recife deve abrir chance para os garotos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalSport x Palmeiras: onde assistir, arbitragem e escalaçãoFutebol Nacional08/01/2021PalmeirasNovo hábito? Por que Abel Ferreira assistiu ao treino do Palmeiras na arquibancada do CTPalmeiras08/01/2021PalmeirasCom Luan e Danilo recuperados, Palmeiras finaliza preparação para encarar SportPalmeiras08/01/2021

– Sem Copinha 2021: 30 promessas que poderiam não ter aparecido

O técnico Abel Ferreira vai poupar atletas de olho na volta contra os argentinos e as Crias da Academia vão ter oportunidade, dando sequência ao que aconteceu no ano passado, quando 11 jogadores estrearam pela equipe profissional e, juntos, realizaram 160 partidas.

Pela ordem, foram: Patrick de Paula, Gabriel Menino, Wesley, Alan, Angulo (atualmente emprestado ao Botafogo), Gabriel Silva, Danilo, Renan, Aníbal, Marcelinho e Fabrício.

Aníbal, Marcelinho e Fabrício tiveram a primeira oportunidade com o treinador português, conhecido por trabalhar bem com jovens nos clubes europeus por onde passou. Despontam como possíveis estreantes: Garcia, lateral-direito, Pedro Bicalho, meia, e Henri, zagueiro. O defensor voltou recentemente de uma operação no menisco do joelho esquerdo.

Confira a classificação do Brasileirão 2020
Simule a possível final da Taça Libertadores

Dos estreantes, Patrick de Paula, Gabriel Menino e Danilo foram titulares na goleada por 3 a 0 na Argentina e somente o camisa 5 deve estar em campo na Ilha do Retiro, uma vez que está suspenso para a volta da Libertadores.

O Palmeiras não tinha uma temporada com tantos estreantes da base desde 2011, quando o número foi de 12: Miguel, Gualberto, Daniel, João Arthur, Gabriel Silva, Anselmo, Vinícius, Patrik, Luis Felipe, Jean, Bruno Turco e Fernando. Recorde na história do clube desde 1988, quando a instituição começou a contabilizar o primeiro jogo profissional de quem era da base.

Como o ano é novo, mas a temporada é velha, o Verdão está a uma estreia das Crias da Academia para igualar o ano com mais jovens utilizado e a marca pode acontecer neste sábado (9), em Recife.

continua após a publicidade

Bryan Robson revealed that Manchester United were close to signing Jude Bellingham before the midfielder opted to join Borussia Dortmund

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bellingham met with Robson, Eric Cantona at United training ground
• Sir Alex Ferguson also present at meeting
• Bellingham opted to sign for Borussia Dortmund

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Robson, a Man United stalwart throughout the 1980s, attempted to convince Bellingham to sign for the club in 2020. The 16-year-old met with United legends and Ferguson in 2020 at Carrington, but spurned the club's interest.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham was subject to interest from several top clubs before penning a long-term contract with Dortmund in 2020. United were among the curious parties, but were unable to offer assurances about playing time. The English midfielder became a regular at Dortmund, who paid £25m ($30m) for his services, almost immediately.

• WHAT BRYAN ROBSON SAID

  The former Red Devils midfielder admitted he thought Bellingham would sign for the club: "It was really disappointing. We were at Carrington and Sir Alex Ferguson was there a little earlier than I was, but Eric and I met him, and his mum and dad, and we were chatting away. “It was really looking promising that he was going to be signing for Manchester United… me and Eric did a rubbish job as he signed for Borussia! We thought we had him in the bag!”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

  Bellingham is set to be among the Madrid squad when they face Mallorca in La Liga play on Saturday. After that, he is expected to play a key role when Los Blancos take on Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash next Wednesday, with the tie finely poised after a 3-3 draw at the Bernabeu.

Newcastle United have finally opened talks for a player they have been linked with for months, according to a new transfer report.

Newcastle: Tonali ban updates

The Magpies found themselves in excellent form before the international break halted the domestic action, picking up some hugely impressive wins, not least the 4-1 victory at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Having started the season in slow fashion, losing some tough games and struggling to match the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton, Eddie Howe's side have now jumped to eighth in the Premier League table, and will again be looking to seal a top-four finish 2023/24.

Unfortunately, Newcastle's plans have been thrown into potential chaos with news of a potential ban for Sandro Tonali, following his breaching of betting rules. The Italian could even miss as much as 12 months, although seven months has also been rumoured.

Either way, it is highly likely that Howe will be without his talismanic summer signing for the foreseeable future, which heightens the need for the Magpies to make a midfield addition during the January transfer window. Now, it looks as though progress is being made with regards to one target.

Newcastle transfer news: Kalvin Phillips

A transfer report has emerged from TEAMtalk, who claim that Kalvin Phillips to Newcastle could indeed happen in January following recent reports of a possible approach, with the Magpies now making the first move by opening talks with the Manchester City midfielder's agent. Sporting director Dan Ashworth is thought to be running matters:

"TEAMtalk sources state that the Magpies have met with the agents of Kalvin Phillips to sound out a potential move for the England international.

"Dan Ashworth, sporting director at Newcastle, is leading the charge to try and bring in urgent cover to replace their record signing and a meeting has taken place between Ashworth and Phillips’ agency CAA Stellar."

This is exciting news for Newcastle, considering Phillips is a proven player at international level, even being hailed as "superb" by Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi after his performances for the Three Lions at Euro 2020.

The 27-year-old has admittedly struggled to settle at City since arriving from Leeds United last year, but injuries have held him back hugely, and he has some elite midfielders ahead of him in the pecking order, from Rodri to Mateo Kovacic.

Kalvin Phillips career achievements	Year
Champions League winner	2023
Premier League winner	2023
FA Cup winner	2023
England Player of the Year	2021
Championship winner	2020

While his issues at the Etihad shouldn't simply be swept under the carpet, Phillips' statistics speak for themselves in his career to date, with 30 caps coming to way for England, not to mention being named his country's Player of the Year in 2021. He has also won Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, so he could bring a winning mentality with him to Newcastle.

The former Leeds man may be a little more defensive-minded than Tonali, perhaps not offering as big a goal threat, but he will be desperate to prove his worth at St James' Park and would bring a combination on energy, tenacity and leadership in the middle of the park.

Liverpool dispatched an injury-hit Nottingham Forest side in the Premier League with relative ease, winning 3-0 at Anfield to continue the seasonal revival and keep on the tail of table-toppers Tottenham Hotspur.

Last year, the Reds scarcely produced performances of the level that has become the standard under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage, but after some impressive transfer business in the summer,

There will be tougher tests to come, but the sustained performances from several of the Reds' star players will have left the German manager delighted, with none more noteworthy than Dominik Szoboszlai's creative masterclass.

Dominik Szoboszlai's performance vs Nottingham Forest

Starting on the front foot, Liverpool were made to wait until the half-hour mark to bypass Matt Turner's goal, with Diogo Jota latching onto a rebound from Darwin Nunez's shot to open the scoring, before the Uruguayan doubled the lead minutes later.

Mohamed Salah continued his imperious start to the season with a gifted goal after the break, but in truth, Liverpool coasted for large parts of the second half and enjoyed a comfortable win to maintain their fine start.

At the centre of all that was positive was Szoboszlai, who has been sensational since joining in a £60m deal from German side RB Leipzig in July, producing assists for Jota and Salah's goals.

Dominik Szoboszlai: Game by numbers vs Forest

Statistic

Rating

Minutes played

90

Assists

2

Touches

106

Pass completion

75/81 (93%)

Key passes

4

Ground duels won

4/7 (57%)

Dribble attempts

3/4 (75%)

*Statistics sourced via Sofascore

It was a mesmeric performance of control and confidence, and it's a small wonder that talent scout Jacek Kulig declared him as the "Hungarian artist" for his creative flair and ingenuity.

His brace of assists now takes his seasonal tally to two goals and assists apiece across all competitions, but the 23-year-old's quality stretches far beyond the mere merit of direct contributions, with his crisp passing, progressive surges, and tenacious defensive work all on display against Forest.

Unfortunately for Steve Cooper, the trees were not so tricky on Merseyside, and Szoboszlai played a central role in stifling any tincture of attacking threat the visitors could muster.

"Magnificent" Van Dijk back to his best

While Szoboszlai will draw the headlines thanks to his creativity, Virgil van Dijk was once again almighty in the Anfield rearguard, with the Dutchman reclaiming his throne as the division's best centre-half after struggling somewhat last season.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst remarked that "his drop-off has been staggering" as Liverpool fell by the wayside last year, but was appointed captain following the summer exits of Jordan Henderson and James Milner.

Against Forest, the 32-year-old colossus made four clearances, blocked two shots and completed a tackle and interception apiece, also winning eight of his nine (89%) duels, as per Sofascore, and contributed enormously toward the third clean sheet of the league campaign.

Furthermore, the £220k-per-week machine took 117 touches and completed 94% of his passes, while also making a key pass and succeeding with 12 of his 15 attempted long balls.

Journalist Lewis Bower even hailed his “magnificent” display, with the dominance he exudes in key moments simply breathtaking; quite simply, the away side's advances fell flat on nearly every occasion.

As per FBref, the distinguished titan ranks among the top 5% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins and the top 14% for clearances per 90, further underscoring his value as one of the finest and most composed of his position.

Forest were nullified, with Van Dijk's current confidence hinting at rekindled authority and a presence that proved so integral to Liverpool's previous illustrious exploits as he dominated the away side with his imperious display in and out of possession.

With Harry Kane having sealed a £100m move to Germany this summer, the Englishman's exit eclipsed Tottenham Hotspur's previous record departure – ten years on from the sale of Gareth Bale back in 2013.

The Welsh wing wizard was snapped up at the tail-end of that summer window by La Liga giants Real Madrid, with the Spanish outfit forking out a reported fee of around £85.3m, a sizeable increase on the Lilywhites' initial £10m investment back in 2007.

The now-retired forward had warranted that interest after emerging as the undoubted talisman at White Hart Lane, notably bagging 26 goals and registering 14 assists in just 44 games in all competitions during the 2012/13 season.

Rather than attempting to fill the former Southampton man's void with a marquee, high-profile replacement, however, Daniel Levy and co opted to instead spread the funds around, bringing in the infamous 'magnificent seven' to help bolster Andre Villas-Boas' ranks.

Roberto Soldado

Erik Lamela

Paulinho

Christian Eriksen

Etienne Capoue

Vlad Chiriches

Nacer Chadli

While that septet did include a certain Christian Eriksen – who went on to make 305 appearances for the club in all competitions – it was largely a tale of disappointment, with Roberto Soldado, for instance, netting just 13 goals following his £26m switch from Spain.

Among those who also failed to live up to the billing was Erik Lamela, with the Argentine winger – who actually spent longer at N17 than Eriksen – not making the impact that was expected at the time of his arrival.

Why did Tottenham sign Erik Lamela?

While the north Londoners did not actively seek a direct replacement for departing hero, Bale, it was suggested at the time that Lamela could prove the perfect solution, with club legend Ossie Ardiles having stated:

"He is not as powerful but he is more skilled than Bale. He has been nicknamed the ‘new Messi’ and that’s right – it’s a sign of how talented he is."

That glowing praise from his legendary compatriot was an indication of just how highly regarded Tottenham's new number 11 was, even though the player himself had moved to reject any comparisons to the shirt's former incumbent.

Such rave reviews had no doubt been warranted amid Lamela's fine form during his time in Italy for Serie A giants, Roma, having contributed 21 goals and 13 assists in just 67 games in all competitions for his previous employers.

That impact in Rome had only served to heighten the talk regarding the 'next Messi' – as noted by journalist Ian Hawkey – with it having been easy to see why Villas-Boas and Levy were so keen to get their man amid Bale's departure.

How much did Tottenham pay for Erik Lamela?

While it was Soldado who had initially been the most expensive capture of that 2013 window – ahead of Paulinho – the purchase of Lamela saw the club break their transfer record once again, with the 5 foot 11 playmaker joining for a fee of around £30m.

Perhaps burdened by that hefty price tag, the Bale successor was unable to have the impact that he would have hoped for during his debut campaign in English football, having been ruled out for much of the season with a back issue.

As it proved, the marquee signing was something of a bystander to proceedings as he scored just one goal and provided only four assists in 17 games in all competitions in 2013/14, with rumours having been rife that summer that a move to Inter Milan was on the cards.

No such exit occurred, however, as the Buenos Aires-born enigma stayed put until his departure two years ago, although, despite that lengthy stay at N17, it wasn't exactly a smooth ride for the left-footer from then on.

What went wrong for Lamela at Tottenham?

There's no denying that the 25-cap Argentina international was capable of moments of genius during his time in Lilywhites, notably scoring that outrageous Rabona against Asteras in the Europa League back in October 2014.

The fleet-footed dynamo also replicated that attempt against bitter rivals Arsenal in 2021 – earning the famed Puskas award in the process – with such strikes serving as a reminder of the quality that the wideman did possess.

The problem was, however, that those flashes of brilliance were far too infrequent, with Lamela hardly proving himself to be someone whom the likes of Mauricio Pochettino or Jose Mourinho could rely upon.

Under Pochettino, in particular, the one-time River Plate star was unable to establish himself as a regular starter in the side, with the current Chelsea boss preferring a forward line involving Kane, Eriksen, Heung-min Son and Dele Alli.

The issue was seemingly his "inconsistency", as pundit Paul Robinson noted amid Lamela's impending exit, with the former England stopper going on to add: “Everybody knows the guy’s got heaps of talent. When you say about his injuries and his inconsistency, he never quite made it to the level of the player we expected.

“He was one of the players that replaced Gareth Bale. There were four or five players, weren’t there, that came in when Bale left. It was to try and fill these gaps.

“I’m not saying he was that player but he certainly had the ability to do things out of the ordinary. That’s the frustrating thing for managers, when you think you’ve got a diamond and the diamond only shines now and again."

With 82 goals and assists in 257 games in all competitions for the club under his belt, the experienced asset finally departed in 2021 in order to join Sevilla, with Bryan Gil moving in the other direction.

Where is Erik Lamela now?

That return to Spain has proven rather fruitful for the 32-year-old as he boasts a haul of 22 goal involvements in just 81 appearances in all competitions for his current employers, including netting twice in only six La Liga appearances this season.

The £55k-per-week asset was also particularly crucial during the Andalusian side's shock Europa League triumph last season after scoring twice and registering two assists in eight games in the competition, with two of those goal contributions coming in the semi-final victory over Juventus.

After years of pain at Spurs, the ageing talent was finally able to end his search for silverware, making a positive start to life in his new surroundings so far.

That impact in Seville is an indication that the 'frustrating' talent has certainly enjoyed a respectable career, although those prior comparisons to the iconic figure of Bale do now look rather foolish.