Tottenham transfers: Tim Sherwood rubbishes Erik Lamela exit talk

Tim Sherwood has played down reports linking club-record signing Erik Lamela with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur in January.

The Argentina international, who penned a five-year deal at White Hart Lane, has endured a tough start to his Spurs career following a £30m switch from Roma to Spurs in the summer.

Absolutely, he won’t be leaving on loan in this transfer window

Tim Sherwood

The 21-year-old has made one assist in nine Premier League appearances for Tottenham, whilst his only Spurs goal came in a 2-1 win against Sheriff FC in the Europa League.

Serie A champions Juventus have been linked with a swoop for the South American in recent days, but Sherwood is adamant that Lamela won’t be leaving Spurs.

“Absolutely, he won’t be leaving on loan in this transfer window,” Sherwood told his pre-match media conference.

He added: “We know what a talented player Erik is and we also understand how players need time to settle.

“He’s needing that time to acclimatise to a new country. He doesn’t speak English and with the tempo of the games, especially over the Christmas period when they come thick and fast, he hasn’t been 100 per cent fit.

“He’s still feeling fatigued in one of his thighs so we are being very cautious with him. We don’t want that to turn into a real injury problem so we’re going to take it nice and steady with him.

“I really want to put him on the stage when he’s ready to perform rather than let people judge him when he’s really half-cooked.”