It seems a decision has been made about Lucas Moura’s future at Tottenham as he spoke about his talks with the club this week. The Brazilian was one of the players to have questions raised about his future in north London.
Moura made 34 Premier League appearances last season and started in just 19 of those games. The 29-year-old was pushed down the pecking order after the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski, who complemented the front line and made an immediate impression.
Antonio Conte could still rely on the winger and was often one of the first substitutes to come on. Moura has played over 200 games for Spurs and is a player who can be brought into a game to bring new legs and pace to his side, no matter the situation.
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The Brazilian has been talking about his return to Sao Paulo for the last year. After Spurs’ last home game of the 2021/22 season, Moura appeared more likely to stay at Tottenham and offer comments on next season.
“[It’s a] great pleasure for me to be here. Every year, every practice, every game, I come and do my best because they [fans] deserve and the feeling is amazing,” he admitted.
“The most important thing for us is to do our best on the pitch to see them like that. Let’s fight for more next season and fight for a trophy because they [fans] deserves it.”
Just a few weeks later, there was talk of the 29-year-old returning to his home country. “Today I have a contract with Tottenham, the transfer is difficult for Sao Paulo, and then there’s the salary,” explained Moura. “It’s tough. The reality is I’m considering returning, but I’ve never set a clear date.”
Although this almost seemed like confirmation that the winger would stay at N17 for at least another season, no mention had been made of his contact with the club and his hopes for Moura’s future in Conte’s squad. However, the 29-year-old spoke to Brazilian media on Tuesday and opened up about talks he’s had with Tottenham.
“It’s very likely that I’ll stay, I’ve already had a conversation with the club, they are interested in me staying,” revealed Moura. The 29-year-old went on to explain that it is very likely that he will stay at Spurs.
“Hardly anything will happen in this window. I will hardly leave Tottenham. Of course, we never know what will happen. Even more so with the Champions League place, so I feel very motivated to continue next season,” he added added.
Moura’s Champions League mention could also be a reason why the Italian wants to keep the winger at Spurs. The Lilywhites need to address their squad depth problem, which will be crucial next season with their return to the Champions League and the reintroduction of the five-substitution rule.
Therefore, Conte will likely have to do more rotations and give some players a rest to avoid injuries. Just like last season, Moura’s role could be crucial here.
The 29-year-old will obviously want to play week in and week out, but being an important part of Conte’s squad will also be very important, even if you don’t start in every game. Moura’s place in the 52-year-old’s squad could also become more important as Steven Bergwijn revealed he wants to leave this summer.
The Dutchman was also sidelined frequently last season and appeared to be lower in Conte’s pecking order than Moura, which is likely a reason why he is keen to make a move, especially with the World Cup looming.
Speaking to the media, the Brazilian reiterated his desire to return to Sao Paulo. “It’s possible. Most likely. I don’t like to stick to anything because we never know and I don’t want to create false expectations either. But it’s very likely,” Moura explained.
“As I said, the contract is up. It could be a year, it could be two, depending on the club’s extension. And at the end of the contract, if I’m free, the possibility of returning to Sao Paulo is very high.” very high. I always had this dream of going back to Tricolor.”
The Brazilian previously opened up about the salary issue that could potentially prevent a move back to his home country any time soon. A loan move could solve that problem, but if Conte wants a reliable player like Moura in his squad and the 29-year-old is still happy at Tottenham, he’s unlikely to be going anywhere this summer.