Walter Sabatini says club were forced to sell Lamela to Tottenham after winger became ‘unsettled’.
Roma director of football Walter Sabatini says another Italian club tried to sign Erik Lamela before the winger joined Tottenham.
Lamela, 21, joined Spurs from Roma last month in a club record £30m deal but Sabatini has revealed the Argentina international became ‘unsettled’ after another Italian club ‘pounced on’ him.
The 58-year-old also said the chance to sign Fiorentina’s Adem Ljalic as a direct replacement for Lamela also contributed to the decision to sell the former River Plate star, who joins Sabatini’s predecessor Franco Baldini at White Hart Lane after the ex-England assistant joined Spurs in June.
Ecco Walter Sabatini in sala stampa | Here’s Walter Sabatini in the press room #ASR pic.twitter.com/cteGhjvfEu
— A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “We’d never considered selling Lamela before but a number of new factors came into play and altered the scenario” — A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “A club made a big offer, making it difficult to renegotiate his contract, and at that point we decided to sell” — A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “Lamela was sold once we realized we could sign a player of similar quality, Ljajic, at a very good price” — A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “What were the factors that led to us selling Erik? We wanted to give him a pay rise but then another Italian club pounced on him” — A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “Erik had a massive deal on the table and that’s when we lost him, he became unsettled here. That’s why we sold him” — A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “At the same time we had the chance to sign a talented player in Ljajic and so we went ahead with it” — A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “Roma needs a wage policy: we have a path to follow leading to the construction of a new stadium. We have to balance the books”
— A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “Our transfer business leaves us in profit following player sales and purchases but wages have gone up”
— A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
On the same day as Lamela arrived, Spurs also signed centre half Vlad Chiriches from Steau Bucharest, a player previously linked with Roma. Meanwhile, the Giallorossi landed 17-year-old Tin Jedvaj after the defender’s move to Spurs collapsed.
But Sabatini denied that Spurs, and specifically Baldini, had acted incorrectly by stealing Roma’s targets.
Sabatini: “The fact that Tottenham bought players Roma were looking at as well doesn’t mean they stole them from us”
— A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
Sabatini: “Baldini has always behaved correctly towards Roma. We both acted fairly in the transfer window”
— A.S. Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 13, 2013
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