Report: Tottenham Hotspur could use Erik Lamela as makeweight in deal to sign Aaron Ramsey from Juventus
Tottenham Hotspur are said to be considering a move to bring former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey back to North London.
The Welshman hasn't had a great time in Italy since joining Juventus at the start of the 2019-20 season. Constant injuries have not helped his cause, as it has been difficult for him to nail down a spot in the Juventus starting lineup.
It is also clear that Andrea Pirlo does rate Ramsey, but the problem is one of reliability. With Ramsey's availability almost never certain, he has little chance of going on to establish himself as an important cog in the Juventus wheel.
Now it looks like Tottenham Hotspur are willing to offer Ramsey a way back into the Premier League, even though he played for their great rivals Arsenal for 11 years.
It is also being suggested that Spurs are looking to add Erik Lamela as part of a deal to bring Ramsey to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Juventus said to like the Argentine.
Calciomercato are also reporting that Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho would love to make Ramsey a part of his squad and that any potential deal would be with the manager's seal on it.
Juventus value Ramsey at €20m amid Tottenham Hotspur interest
Juventus, who signed Ramsey on a free transfer in 2019, are said to be valuing the Welshman at around €20m. The report also states that if Tottenham cannot cough up that amount, they will use Lamela as a makeweight.
Despite having spent nearly eight years as a Tottenham Hotspur player, Lamela has never been able to nail down a spot for himself in the starting XI. He is largely being used as a substitute but has hardly made an impact for Mourinho's side this season.
The report also states that even though a move for Lamela would make sense for Juventus, it would be difficult for Ramsey to accept a return to Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham Hotspur have had a slump in the Premier League recently. Having been top of the league in mid-December, Spurs are now eighth with 36 points from 22 games.
The midfield has been a problem area for Mourinho as well, with the Portuguese struggling to find a reliable third player in that part of the pitch. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele have done well, but the likes of Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko haven't done enough.