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Well, it seems that Luka Modric is off to Madrid, and Joao Moutinho will be his replacement at Spurs. Two of the most exciting names linked with United so far this summer. So, what now? As nice as it would be to get excited about the possibility of Leighton Baines in a red shirt, it just isn’t the same. There is one more name to get even a little excited about, though. Lucas Moura. Who? That has been the reaction of many United fans both in the real world and on Twitter. I didn’t know too much about him before this link was made a couple of weeks ago. All I really knew was that he was talented. Very, very talented.I’m not going to pretend that I have watched Lucas Moura extensively, hell, I haven’t even watched him play a full 90 minutes. But I do know what he is best at. He is ridiculously good at beating a man, scarily good in fact. Not since the likes of Ronaldinho and the Ronaldo in a Barcelona shirt have I seen a Brazilian with as much skill, pace or power. The quickness of his feet is mesmerizing to both us and the defenders he beats.
I will be the first person to raise my voice in favor of signing this kid. Without doubt he is the best young player in the world, as proved by the huge tug of war between us, Inter and Real. Three of the biggest clubs in the world do not offer £30m+ for anyone that is not world class. But Lucas Moura has been playing against below par opposition his whole career, compared to the Premier League, La Liga etc. Just watching one of his many ‘montages’ on YouTube will show how gangly and slow some of his opponents can be. This begs the question, could Lucas Moura be a success in the Premier League? Brazilians have always struggled with the physicality of our league when they first arrive. Kleberson and Anderson have experienced this problem in recent years. What makes Lucas any different? In my eyes, he is different. The type of player that we have never truly had. We nearly had one in Ronaldinho after David Beckham’s departure, but we never did. We cannot make the same mistake twice. We were so close to getting one of the greatest footballers to ever live in 2003, we are now well and truly in the driving seat for another.
I do have one problem, however. I don’t know where Lucas Moura would fit into our current side. As far as I understand, he plays in more or less the same position as Shinji Kagawa, in the hole behind the striker(s). Now I think we all know that Kagawa will be one of the first names on the team sheet this season, and Sir Alex will not leave him out a lot. There is only one other place to put Lucas then. On the wing. This could also be a problem, with Valencia arguably our most important player going forward in 11/12 behind Wayne Rooney. Along with the fact that Sir Alex has trusted Tony V with the #7 shirt this season, he is virtually unplayable. With Nani and Ashley both haven’t inconsistent seasons last year, it would be the perfect time for Lucas to come in and make himself at home on the left hand side.
