Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva has been in rejuvenated form this season. However, there has been a lot of speculations over his future at Anfield over the past few weeks and a potential move to Italian side Inter Milan is mooted. Dominic King of the Daily Mail wrote a couple of days ago that the San Siro side will lodge a bid for the Brazilian in the coming days.
Lucas produced a brilliant individual performance against Sunderland and took Twitter after the match, saying “Great win, thanks for everything. Would this suggest anything?
Grande vitória, obrigado por tudo !!! Great win , thanks for everything !!!
— Lucas Leiva (@LucasLeiva87) January 10, 2015
This leaves Brendan Rodgers with a big decision to make. Lucas has been in superb form in the past few weeks and has looked like the player he was once in his prime form. This is not the first time that the 28 year old has been linked with a move away from Anfield.
Napoli were also interested in the summer but any sort of deal failed t materialize and the player stayed put at Merseyside. But with Roberto Mancini taking over the reigns at Inter and the former Manchester City manager a keen admirer of Lucas, Liverpool can well expect a bid.
However, today’s reports from the trusted and reliable TMW claim that Rafa Benitez’s Napoli are showing fresh intent to sign the player. The report cites Sport Mediaset claiming that Swiss midfielder Gokhan Inler could leave Naples based side and Benitez’s is looking to bring in Lucas whom he bought from Brazilian side Gremio during his reign at Liverpool. However Napoli Sporting Director Riccardo Bigon has insisted that Gokhan Inler will not leave the club this January. (Football Italia)
Napoli sporting director Riccardo Bigon insists Gokhan Inler will not leave the club this January. http://t.co/4dBNshAEPB — footballitalia (@footballitalia) January 9, 2015
Bigon said: “There are no players who have asked to leave, even those who have played less. Inler has absolutely not asked to leave, Gokhan is a model professional who always gives 100 per cent, even when he’s not always playing. At the time his departure is not something we’re thinking about.”
Rodgers also claimed that Liverpool would not entertain any loan bid for the Brazilian midfielder: “There will be no loan deal for Lucas. We have had nothing as of yet in writing. I have spoken to him. He has been a player who has been in the team so we will look to keep him”
Elsewhere, Liverpool confirmed the departure of Oussama Assaidi to Middle East club Al-Ahli.
#LFC can confirm that Oussama Assaidi has left the Reds to join Al Ahli Club. Full story: http://t.co/sMdN2LHedj pic.twitter.com/3CcNaKLYkw
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 12, 2015
Signed in the summer of 2012 when Brendan Rodgers took charge in 2012 the Moroccan was a relative unknown and no one saw the recruitment coming. Assaidi arrived from SC Heerenveen for a fee worth s little as £2.4m. The winger consequently failed to muster a starting eleven spot and made just 12 appearances for the Anfield side.
Meanwhile Liverpool haven’t received any inquiries for Mario Balotelli who has drawing blanks for the Anfield side since his arrival from AC Milan in the summer.
#LFC have not received any inquiries for Mario Balotelli *The Guardian*
— Billy Liddell (@Liddellpool) January 12, 2015
The Reds are also set to offer a contract extension to Martin Skrtel. (Daily Telegraph) The Slovakian has 18 months in his current deal and is set to offered a new contract. Skrtel took to social media over the weekend: “Liverpool is now in my heart. It is a great honour for me to play seven years for Liverpool. We’ve had some great moments together and I am really happy that I am part of this.”
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
