Tottenham’s Brazilian attacker Lucas Moura was reportedly on Barcelona’s radar on transfer deadline day.
The Catalan giants were heavily linked with a move to re-sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar but as a deal failed to materialise in the final hours, they considered bringing in someone else. The report claims that Moura was targeted by Barca but Tottenham’s demands priced them out of a move.
Tottenham’s asking price was over £45m according to the report which would have been a huge profit for Mauricio Pochettino’s side considering that they signed him from PSG for a reported fee of £23m (BBC). Had the deal gone through, Spurs would have profited double of what they spent on him 18 months ago but letting him leave would have been a mistake.
The Brazilian scored with his first touch after coming off the bench against defending champions Manchester City and has featured in three of Spurs’ four Premier League games. Moura was left on the bench for the game against Arsenal on Sunday and a potential switch could well have played a part in that.
The Brazilian international has contributed 17 goals and seven assists in 63 appearances for the North Londoners since making the switch from the French capital. His profile perfectly suits Pochettino’s system and he has proven already that he is capable of scoring the big goals.
Moura was Tottenham’s hero in the Champions League last season as his hat-trick in the second leg of the semi-finals against Ajax helped his side reach the final. His omission from the starting lineup in the final arguably cost Spurs the crown but with him staying, Pochettino can have another go this season.
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