Lucas Leiva has been hitting the headlines this week, as it has been rumoured that Liverpool are keen to sell the 27-year-old Brazilian, after interest was apparently shown by Italian clubs Napoli and Inter Milan. It appears that the funds raised from the sale of Lucas will go towards one of the many players Liverpool are hoping to sign this summer, despite the fact they have signed quite a handful already. It is clear that after Liverpool’s whirlwind of a season, Brendan Rodgers is keen to build even more so on the unbelievable progress they made in such a short period of time, and against all the odds too. However, I’m sure many fans are wondering, what is next for Lucas Leiva?

Having signed for Liverpool in 2007, Lucas has been a loyal servant to them for many years now. For his first few seasons at the club he appeared rather shaky when on the field of play, which caused a lot of frustration for the Liverpool fans who, having won the Champions League for the 5th time only 2 years before, expect flawless performances from all of the players who pull on the famous red shirt.

Luckily for Lucas, he eventually got into his stride, and proved himself a solid defensive midfielder, and a player worthy of making the starting XI at such a prestigious club. However, with Liverpool now on the rise, the standard at the club has been ever-increasing and there is a constant fight required to earn you a place on the team sheet. As well as this, Lucas struggled with 2 long-term injuries just as he was beginning to pick up some speed and gain consistency in his performances. It wasn’t long before the impact of this on his play became noticeable once he had recovered.

With the arrival of players such as Henderson, Coutinho and Allen over the past few seasons, it can be very hard to maintain a place in Liverpool’s midfield even when you have been pretty much injury-free. Of course, the captain, Steven Gerrard, has to start, and a midfield made up of 5/6 players isn’t exactly practical.  This, when paired with the fact that Liverpool have already signed many players this transfer window (and do not appear to be stopping anytime soon), could all prove bad news for Lucas Leiva.

Interestingly, it was noticed that the player had very recently removed references of Liverpool from his Twitter bio, as well as unfollowing the club’s official Twitter page. Make of that what you will.

On the subject of rumours and transfers, it is looking likely that Serie A will be his final destination. Following the arrival of defensive midfielder Emre Can it appears that the Brazilian won’t be left with much choice but to accept. Fortunately, a move could prove beneficial for both player and club, as Lucas might find himself getting more game time and playing better in a league that isn’t as fast paced as the Premier League.

However, a transfer for the Brazilian could still fall through; as even more rumours have been flying around that Napoli only want him on a year-long loan, with the option to buy after that period of time has come to a close. It appears that Liverpool would much rather sell outright, as the money gained could go towards buying players such as Dejan Lovren from Southampton. If Liverpool turned down Napoli’s offer of a year-long loan, this could open the door for Inter Milan to swoop in with a bid, thus waving goodbye to Lucas Leiva and his dream of winning the Premier League with Liverpool Football Club.

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About the author
Alice Davison
17 year old journalist, Liverpool Fan :)