Barcelona Locked In A Three-Way Battle For This La Liga Playmaker: Should Xavi Move In For Him? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Fichajes claimed that Barcelona are locked in a three-way battle for Barcelona playmaker Erik Lamela. It is believed that the Catalan giants could face competition in the form of Atletico Madrid and Valencia in pursuit of the Argentine attacker.

Lamela’s Lack Of Productivity At The Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium

Lamela is having an inconsistent campaign at Seville as he has struggled to be productive in the final third. The ex-River Plate sensation has been involved in 20 matches for the Andalusian outfit this season, netting five goals and grabbing two assists in multiple competitions.

The 30-year-old has caught the eye at times by averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.1 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has also been careful with his ball distribution after making 85.4% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).

SEVILLE, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 07: Erik Lamela of Sevilla reacts during the La Liga Santander match between Real Betis and Sevilla FC at Estadio Benito Villamarin on November 07, 2021 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

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Should Barcelona Boss Xavi Move In For Lamela?

Lamela has got the technical qualities to be a success story at a club like Barcelona. He remains an excellent dribbler with the ball and can sometimes cut open the opponent’s defence with a killer pass in the final third.

The Argentine talent can even strike the ball with a lot of venom from long range. However, he needs to be more consistent with his end-product in front of the opposition goal.

At 30, the veteran winger has still got a few good years left in him and would be a good fit for Xavi‘s brand of football at the Nou Camp. Lamela could add more quality to Barca‘s attacking department and increase competition for places within their match-day squad.

Hence, it is only logical for Xavi to move in for the Argentine wing wizard as long as he is confident about getting the best out of the player over the next couple of seasons. Lamela knows La Liga well by now and could perform at his peak in the coming seasons. However, the Sevilla star’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024, so it won’t be easy for the Catalan outfit to land him during this summer transfer window.