The departure of Robert Snodgrass to West Ham United was coming and new manager Marco Silva had known it well since he arrived at the club. Injury to Ryan Mason too means the team will lose two of its better players and the need to sign replacements is imperative.
Their position in the league table and stringent budget have been making things all the more difficult for Silva. However, now with money to spend after the sale of Snodgrass, the manager could actually look at some quality to add in the middle of the park and if reports are to be believed, he has already found a suitable candidate in Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Mauricio.
The Tigers are among many clubs keeping tabs on the Brazilian international and a move is expected with little time to go. They will face stiff competition from Fiorentina, Nice and Bordeaux to land the 28-year-old.
Russian news agency Tass, however, claims that the club are unwilling to let go of the central midfielder and are in “detailed negotiations” with Mauricio over a deal. However, they are keeping all eyes open as they are seemingly bringing in Rostov midfielder Christian Noboa, who has six months left on his contract. So the club will have to make room in the squad for the Ecuador international.
Hence, Mauricio’s move to Hull is very much possible if Hull meet the asking price. Mauricio’s contract expires in May this year and Hull could really get the player in a good deal. A central midfielder by nature, Mauricio can play as a holding midfielder as well as a defensive one.
He has garnered a lot of attention for his ability to hold the ball in the midfield and for his defensive contributions. He provides the extra cushion to the back line while absorbing pressure and his ball distribution is decent to catch the opponents on the counter. His controlled long passes from the deeper midfield areas have been applauded by one and all and at 28, he is in the prime of his career.
A youth product of Corinthians, he came up the ranks of Fluminense before Russian side Terek Grozny snapped him up in 2010. After six seasons of impressive performances, Zenit bought him last year. Although he hasn’t managed to score in the domestic league so far, he has played an important role in their Europa League campaign, netting one and assisting the same.
Although Mauricio might take some time to adapt to English football, he could definitely be quality material for Hull in the midfield.
