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Manchester United are no strangers to transfer speculation come this time of year and this season is no exception. The club has already been quite active in the transfer market, bringing in the likes of Nick Powell and Shinji Kagawa for considerable money and loaning out Fabio and Ben Amos and letting go of Tomasz Kuszczak and possibly set to lose Dimitar Berbatov, while releasing a number of youth players, most notably, Paul Pogba. However, in recent weeks, one bit of speculation has gathered momentum and divided opinion among United fans and that is the young Brazilian, Lucas Moura. One must wonder, is he worth all the fuss?
Lucas Moura is a 19 year old currently playing for Sao Paulo in Brazil and is a part of Brazil’s Olympic team, he has also made 15 senior appearances for Brazil already. He plays as an attacking midfielder, possibly more suited to a wide role with his exceptional pace and quick feet but he also has fantastic technique which allows him to play in a central role. This is one of the main talking points among fans and begs the question, do we really need another player like Lucas Moura?
If there is one position that United have well covered, it’s the wide midfield position. Arguably the best wide man in the Premier League, Antonio Valencia, then more top quality in Young and Nani. However, we have lost an important part of the team in Park so players like Ryan Giggs and possibly Shinji Kagawa could see some game time out on the wing this season. Valencia when in form, picks himself and Nani on his day has shown that he can be a world class talent, whilst the money spent on Young last season suggests he will continue to be given a chance to stake a claim. So if Lucas Moura were to arrive at Old Trafford, would he be taking the place of one of these wide men or would it be a large transfer fee spent for just a bit part player who is only going to play 10-15 games a season?
Lucas Moura has come in for criticism in the early stages of his career for his inconsistent performances and lack of influence in his club’s big games, he is obviously still far from being a complete player. But there is no doubt that his attributes will suit the English game, he is fast, strong, skillful and will provide plenty of entertainment for fans. His consistency is something that will come with experience, remember he is only 19, and who better to guide him and introduce him to English football than Sir Alex Ferguson. One thing that many people seem to forget also in situations like this, is personal relationships and if reports are true, apparently he is quite good friends with the Da Silva twins. A friendship like that could only help him settle to life at Manchester United with the likes of Rafael, Fabio (when he returns from loan), Anderson and the other Portuguese speaking players, we have quite a few now, and all of them will continue to help the foreign players adapt.
He does however seem to be quite a versatile player and has been deployed as a striker on several occasions. When or if, Berbatov leaves, we will be on the lookout for another striker, while the links of Robin van Persie are still very strong, the young Brazilian could be potentially a far better option when considering age and versatility. However, the debate will continue as although Lucas Moura does show amazing potential, Robin van Persie is a proven star in the Premier League. Every transfer is a risk, especially when we are talking about fees of 25 million and over, so many are still undecided on which is the better option, especially with Robin van Persie’s horrific injury record.
The argument on whether we need the player or that type of player can go on for hours, however, that is only half the story, the Lucas Moura situation is far more complicated. It comes down to his contract and the transfer fee. One of the issues that is dragging this out is that, Sao Paulo are in Brazil, United are travelling around the world on their pre-season tour and the player is currently in England with the Brazilian Olympic side. Now, obviously United have representatives all over the world and have sent a number of officials to Brazil but the Lucas situation is a touch different and really does require all three parties to be present. The situation is different and extremely complex as the player owns 20% of his economic rights and that percentage is set to rise to 30% in August. Now United’s first bid, which has been confirmed, was rejected. Sao Paulo has confirmed this was quite a large bid but given that Lucas owns a percentage of the transfer fee, the club does not see all of that money. If a deal isn’t agreed before the clause sees his percentage rise from 20% to 30%, Sao Paulo are going to want even more to compensate for the percentage they would lose out on. So any transfer bid accepted now is going to probably see United set a transfer record for the club and is Lucas Moura really the player we should be breaking the bank for?
We see player power play a role in so many transfers in the modern game, currently Luka Modric is dictating terms and doing what he wants to do and is rightly being punished by Andres Villa Boas and Tottenham. Robin van Persie at Arsenal, in fact it seems to be a common theme at Arsenal every year, with Fabregas, Nasri and now van Persie. However, Lucas Moura also has the opportunity to flex his muscles and push through a move if he really wanted. He has the option to give up his percentage in order for Sao Paulo to receive the full transfer fee. This seems unlikely but would definitely endear himself to United fans and show his desire to join Manchester United.
The main thing a lot of United fans believe Lucas Moura could bring to Old Trafford is that game changer ability. We have not had that since Ronaldo left, someone to do something special and deliver on the world stage. Sure we have world class quality that produce week in week out and players who can win games with moments of brilliance but not in the same bracket as Ronaldo. Lucas Moura looks set to become one of the world’s best players, no matter where he ends up. He will be a part of a Brazil team looking to win the World Cup on home soil in 2014 and the experience of that campaign is going to be a great boost for his career at such a young age.
So the debate continues and looks set to continue for a few more weeks. Does Manchester United need Lucas Moura? Do the positives outweigh the risks? Is Robin van Persie, a proven star in the EPL a better option? Should United continue to negotiate and submit a huge transfer bid considering the club’s financial situation? So many questions to be answered and unfortunately, it doesn’t look like this deal will be done during the Olympics therefore triggering the clause in his contract increasing his economic rights to 30%.
A word of advice for any United fans who have not seen Lucas Moura play or that are interested in watching a bit more of him. Tune into Brazil’s Olympic matches, he is quite a player and personally, I would love to see him at Old Trafford.
