Report: Erik Lamela leaving Spurs this summer, with Napoli interested

With Tottenham Hotspur set to ring in some major changes this summer regardless of whom they appoint as their next manager, it should come as no surprise that one of the players tipped to leave the club is Erik Lamela. The last remaining member of the Bale Seven is, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, going to be leaving Spurs after the season ends this weekend, with Napoli reportedly interested in bringing him in.

According to the report, Coco is definitely leaving Spurs regardless of what happens seeking “redemption” after an on-again-off-again career at Tottenham, has been on Napoli’s radar for a few weeks as they search for a replacement for their club captain Lorenzo Insigne. There’s not a lot there and it’s not anything close to a done deal, but he’s apparently high on the wish list for Gennaro Gattuso.

I wouldn’t necessarily call the Italian media, especially Corriere dello Sport, reliable per se but this is one of those rumors that is especially plausible, no matter where it comes from. Coco’s contract expires at the end of next season and there’s no real reason for Spurs to extend it as he’s 29 years old now, so this would be the last realistic period where Spurs can get any sort of value from him. Italy would be a wonderful place for Lamela to extend his career — he excelled at Roma as a young player and the slower pace of the league would likely give him a lift should he end up somewhere in Serie A. In fact, Roma was mooted as a possible destination for Coco in the past few months, but those seemed to have dried up since Jose Mourinho was appointed manager there.

This is the part where I say Counterpoint: No, I love him, and it’s true, I do. But if we’re being honest, it’s time for Coco to gogo — Spurs need a rebuild and more than that they need money to fund a rebuild. And while I will not rest until there’s a bronze statue of Lamela stepping on Cesc Fabregas’ fingers outside of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it’s with a heavy heart that I say that Napoli would be a pretty cool place for him to land next season.