Pundit claims Mourinho will ‘get rid’ of Spurs star only playing due to Bale snub
Gabriel Agbonlahor says that he does not see a long-term future for Erik Lamela at Tottenham under manager Jose Mourinho.
Lamela is one of Spurs‘ longest-serving players after moving to north London in August 2013.
However, injuries have hampered his progress throughout his Premier League career. As such, he has struggled to nail down a regular role in the team despite enjoying some longer spells without problems.
The Argentine has only played 11 top-flight games this term, amounting to a 364 minutes of action. What’s more, his contract runs out next summer, so if Spurs were to sell they could get a fee at the end of this season.
According to Agbonlahor, Mourinho will do just that if chairman Daniel Levy sources a replacement. Indeed, the pundit added that the attacker is only getting game time because of Gareth Bale‘s continuing snub.
Asked if Lamela had a long-term future in north London, Agbonlahor told Football Insider: “No, not at all. He’s not the same player he used to be, Lamela.
“I think Jose Mourinho is just playing him because he’s annoyed at Gareth Bale. He’s just playing Lamela because he’s got nobody else to play.
“If Jose Mourinho is given a bit of money he will definitely get rid of Lamela.
“I think he’ll keep [Lucas] Moura because he’s a good squad player and he does OK when he plays.
“Someone like Lamela will be gone for sure. He’s not really lived up to expectations.”
Lamela’s injury problems have followed him into this season. The 28-year-old spent almost two months on the sidelines earlier in the campaign with a calf problem.
Mourinho backs Dier to improve
Meanwhile, Mourinho has backed Eric Dier to get past his current poor form and bounce back.
The England international has made errors in the past few weeks, including the one which led to Chelsea’s winner in last Thursday’s encounter.
Dier has sat on the bench in two of the last three games, but speaking ahead of Wednesday’s FA Cup tie with Everton, Mourinho backed the player to improve.
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