Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are ready to make big changes to their squad this summer and if they managed to qualify for the Champions League this season, they will have an exciting transfer window ahead of them. But they will also let go of a few players at the end of the season and one player who is now wanted by newly-promoted Championship outfit Brighton & Hove Albion FC is Brazilian midfielder, Lucas Leiva.
The Seagulls have already stamped their return to the top flight with some incredible performances in the Championship this season. Chris Hughton has done a great job with the squad at his disposal but he will know that he needs to improve on his options in most areas if he is to compete with the best next season. And Lucas Leiva is one of the many top-flight stars that the manager is looking at for a move this summer.
Brazil international Lucas Leiva, who joined Liverpool a decade ago, recently celebrated his 10-year association with the club in grand fashion and has been the talk of the town at the Merseyside. He has been used regularly in wake of injuries recently by Jurgen Klopp, but Lucas is far from the first team plans at Anfield for the next season.
He has made just 22 league appearances this season, picking up three assists and though he has been helpful, Klopp is expected to bring in some big names at the end of the season, pushing Lucas further down the pecking order. So it does not come as a surprise that the 30-year old wants to look for regular football elsewhere and Brighton could be a perfect destination.
In a compact 4-4-2 formation that Hughton has used regularly at the Falmer Stadium, Dale Stephens and Steve Sidwell have done a decent job as a part of the midfield four. Oliver Norwood and Beram Kayal are the only other options for the manager and he will want a top-class star who can run the midfield next season.
Lucas Leiva is obviously not the best option for the club but his recent performances show that he still has it in him to play at the highest level and he could make Brighton’s midfield stronger. At 30, Lucas has gathered some serious experience in the Premier League and if he can transform that to help Brighton next season, they may well be able to, not just stay in the top flight, but fight for a strong finish next season.
But do you think Liverpool will sell Lucas this summer?
