Walter Sabatini left AS Roma this week after five years with the Italian club, and a job most would say was very well done. Shipping out those who needed to go, Sabatini’s recruitment for Roma was pretty much excellent, and the club have made some profits with the players they’ve sold on.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb about his career with Roma, Sabatini talked about a player sale which got to him. Sabatini signed Erik Lamela from River Plate in 2011, and when Tottenham came in for the player in 2013, a sale was pushed through.
“It was not easy to sell some players, but especially Lamela,” explained Sanatini. “That operation killed me. I wanted to buy him to send a strong signal to all other clubs, it was not easy to get him, but we got a magnificent player. Selling him was a great big pain, but this also applies to other sales.”
It’s fair to say it took Lamela a while to truly find his feet at Tottenham, even if his talent was never in doubt. Still just 24 years of age, the Argentina international is continually developing into a crucial player for his club.
Probably just how Sabatini knew it would be.
