It seems as if Erik Lamela's spell with Tottenham Hotspur could soon be coming to an end, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on the Last Word on Spurs podcast that the Argentinian was likely to leave the North London club this summer.

The Italian journalist suggested that:

“I am told that he would love to come back to Italy where he was with Roma. But at the moment, there is no Italian club looking for a winger, so I think next summer he will leave Tottenham.”

Spurs signed the winger from Roma in 2013 and in his seven and a half years with Tottenham, he has gone on to make 235 appearances for the North London club, contributing 35 goals and 46 assists.

Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, his time with the club has been marred by a series of injuries that have prevented him from ever really enjoying a consistent spell in the first-team.

This season has been no different for Lamela, as he has managed just two starts in the Premier League, with a calf injury keeping him out of action for much of November and December.

Jose Mourinho also has a plethora of wingers to choose from in his first-team squad which has limited Lamela's game time further and considering his contract is set to expire at the end of next season, a summer exit seems likely, to ensure that Spurs don't lose him for free at the end of his contract.

The Portuguese manager does seem to enjoy having Lamela in his squad, having praised his "amazing spirit" last season but he will surely be frustrated that injuries continue to mean that he is unavailable for selection.

It also makes financial sense to sell the £14.4 million-rated Argentinian, as he earns £80k per week with the North London club, the same as first-team regulars Lucas Moura and Toby Alderweireld, which seems an excessive amount for someone who is currently a fringe player, so it could definitely be argued that Lamela has robbed chairman Daniel Levy blind during his injury-hit time with the club.

The Argentinian was absent for more than a year between 2016 and 2017, as he missed as many as 57 games due to a hip injury.

Since the 2015/16 season, the winger has failed to make more than 12 starts in any Premier League season, suggesting that over the past five years, he has not been justifying his wage with the North London club, so it is perhaps a surprise that he has not been offloaded by Levy much sooner.

In his seven appearances in the top-flight this season, he has averaged a disappointing 6.52 rating, which is the 16th-best of any Spurs player, suggesting that on his rare appearances, he does not have much to offer Mourinho.

Therefore, Spurs must axe the 28-year-old at the end of this season, to bring an end to what will have been an underwhelming eight years with the North London club.

And, in other news... Levy can sign Spurs' Lloris replacement in "insane" keeper who Jose loves