da 888： Lucas has been on a real journey since his arrival at Liverpool eight years ago.
da mrbet： Signed under Rafa Benitez, the Brazilian was lauded as the ‘next big thing’ following some fine attacking midfield showings in his homeland, and Reds fans dared to dream that they may be seeing a genuine samba star running games from midfield on Merseyside.
However, Lucas’ adaptation was slow to say the least, and as a back-up to Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano he was a scapegoat waiting to happen for significant sections of the Anfield crowd.
However, as the years advanced he moved deeper, changing his game to develop into a controlling holding midfielder, and with this adaptation, and the club’s slide, he became a vital cog, helping to stem the flow of goals at the wrong end while adding some authority as the likes of Mascherano and Alonso left.
He’s now firmly a cult hero among Kopites, so it’s been greeted with a degree of sadness to hear that he may be on his way out of the club after a fall-out with manager Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is understood to have indicated to him that he’s fifth choice at the club behind Emre Can, Joe Allen, Jordan Henderson and James Milner, opening the door for a long talked about switch to Inter Milan.
However, even with his role limited, Rodgers wants a replacement to come in and should he delve back into the transfer market any addition would be number EIGHT this summer. So, what options remain for Liverpool?
Well, here are FIVE…
Asier Illarramendi
Although not in the same mould as Lucas in terms of his defensive midfield contribution, Illarramendi is already being touted as the most likely target should the Brazilian leave.
The Spaniard has been likened to Kop hero Xabi Alonso in the past due to his passing range and desire to dictate the play from a deep midfield role, which appears well-suited to the style of football Rodgers craves.
On top of this, Illarramendi is thought to be available with Rafa Benitez having deemed him surplus to requirements at the club, which could open the door for a move.
Sergi Samper
Another deep-lying playmaker of Spanish descent that may be of interest to the Reds is Barcelona’s Sergi Samper. The 20-year-old currently plies his trade with the Catalans’ B team, but with his age now hovering around that of a player who should be playing senior football, it appears to be ‘make or break’ for the midfielder in terms of progression.
An £8.4m release clause sits tantalisingly in the mix, and even though Barca have suggested that he’ll be considered for first-team action, it’s hard to see how he’ll fit in regularly with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and, when available, Arda Turan just three of a host of impressive central stars at the Camp Nou. A lack of Champions League action may dissuade Samper from selecting Anfield, but regular playing time is sure to be appealing.
Thiago Motta
At the other end of the scale, both in terms of style and age, is PSG’s Thiago Motta. The Brazil-born Italy international is a burly, destruction-minded defensive midfielder, which is, typically, the sort of player Rodgers has dodged at Anfield so far.
However, at 32 he looks set to move on for a small fee, and with bags of experience from a career spent playing for sides such as Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSG – he’s won league titles with all three – he does appear to be an appealing short-term option and is unlike any player currently available on the red half of Merseyside.
Adrien Rabiot
Also at PSG, Rabiot is another potential option. The 20-year-old has been linked with moves away from Paris for much of the last few years amid fears for his first-team future, with the Ligue 1 champions well-stocked in terms of experienced and proven options in the engine room.
Sent off in PSG’s first game of the new season for picking up two bookings within the opening 30 minutes at Lille, Rabiot may well find himself out of the action again for some time as the Parisians look for a fourth consecutive league title, and his cultured, pass-orientated style appears suited to Rodgers’ approach.
William Carvalho
Likely to be a popular name among the Reds’ fanbase, Carvalho is an appealing, if unlikely, late option for the Reds. The Portugal international has long been talked about as one of Europe’s finest emerging defensive midfielders, so a fee of close to £30m is likely to be asked for by Sporting CP.
Although Liverpool are by no means paupers, such a sum on the back of the £80m+ spend this summer – not factoring in wages and signing on fees – may be a stretch, yet if a decent fee can be reeled in for Lucas and the Merseysiders are clever with their negotiations, a deal could be possible, with Rodgers a fan of the player.