‘Who knows?’: President refuses to rule out signing Tottenham ace in 2023

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Sao Paulo president Julio Casares has refused to rule out a return to Brazil for Lucas Moura when his contract at Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur expires in the summer of 2023, speaking to Andre Hernan. 

This is a deal that has been bubbling beneath the surface for a while now.

According to Globo Esporte, Lucas held talks with Sao Paulo on no fewer than three occasions over the summer. What’s more, the former PSG winger has made no attempt to hide his interest in bringing his career full circle, admitting that it is ‘very, very likely’ he will be an El Tri player once again in the near future. 

Lucas’ contract expires next summer.

But while Spurs do have an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months, Brazilian publication UOL suggest that the chances of Lucas still being a Tottenham player in September 2023 are slim in the extreme. 

And Casares, when quizzed about a potential homecoming for the former Sao Paulo talisman, was intriguingly coy.

‘Who knows,” Casares mused. “Who knows.” 

Is Lucas Moura set to leave Tottenham Hotspur next year?

Lucas has been restricted to just 12 minutes of football all season due to a calf injury. Even when he returns to full fitness, however, first-team action under Antonio Conte will be difficult to come by. The long-serving forward, a £23 million signing from Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, has fallen behind Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Ivan Perisic in Spurs’ pecking order since the turn of the year.

“He has the will (to come back). But, until then, it’s hard, right? He has a contract and earns very well,” explained Muricy Ramalho, Sao Paolo’s sports co-ordinator, indicating that Lucas will not be returning to the Morumbi unless he is willing to take a sizeable pay cut. 

“The doors are open for him. In addition to being a great player, he is very fond of the club.

“But we have to be realistic. We cannot to pay what he earns there (at Tottenham). He would have to give up a lot to come here. We don’t hide this from anyone. Otherwise, we would be fooling the fans.”