The Argentine winger who nearly moved to Barcelona as a child
In short: Before becoming a Premier League star, Erik Lamela was the subject of a massive transfer offer from Barcelona. The club reportedly offered his family $160,000 USD a year, a house, and employment to relocate—a deal strikingly similar to the one that brought Lionel Messi to Spain.
Born in a northern suburb of Buenos Aires on 4 March 1992, Erik Lamela's potential was evident early. At just 12, he gained notoriety by netting 120 goals for River Plate's academy during one season. This prolific talent led to a 2004 interview where he expressed his ambition to follow Diego Maradona and win a World Cup for Argentina. Because his young potential was so vast, a film crew from Trans World Sport went to Argentina to record his ascent. At the time, he was already making significant headlines for his scoring record.
His professional ascent saw him move from River Plate to Roma in 2011 for an initial €12 million. After two seasons in Serie A, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in August 2013 for £25.8 million, becoming the club's most expensive player at the time. During his eight seasons at Tottenham, he made over 250 appearances and reached the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. He was a regular starter for River Plate during the 2010–11 season, contributing four goals in 34 appearances. His departure from the club followed a period where they faced relegation due to the Argentine Primera's specific format.
Lamela's career was marked by both brilliance and injury. He won the 2021 FIFA Puskás Award for a spectacular rabona goal against Arsenal and secured a professional title with Sevilla in the 2023 UEFA Europa League. After stints with Sevilla and AEK Athens, the former Argentina international retired from professional football in 2025, moving into coaching with Monterrey. His award-winning strike against Arsenal was later recognised as the Goal of the Season by Match of the Day. Following his retirement, he transitioned into a coaching role with the Mexican club Monterrey.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Erik Lamela
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