Wolves made an offer to keep Lucas Moura in the Premier League after his contract at Tottenham Hotspur expired, the Brazil international’s agent admits.
If Lucas’ brief cameo at the end of Spurs’ 4-1 final day thrashing of Leeds United was anything to go by, there is still plenty of life left in this old dog.
Tottenham’s long-serving Brazilian embarked upon the sort of winding, spellbinding run some of his most feted compatriots would have been proud of; breezing through a defeated Leeds backline before putting the final nail in Sam Allardyce’s relegation coffin.
And the reaction that greeted Lucas’ most fitting of farewells – held aloft by his team-mates as the Spurs supporters chanted his name gleefully from the stands – spoke volumes about how highly the 30-year-old was regarded at his old stomping ground; a popular presence on and off the pitch during five years in North London.
Lucas Moura returns to Brazil after Tottenham exit
Lucas can probably expect a similarly impassioned response when he makes his second debut for Sao Paulo. After 18 months of speculation, the former PSG star re-joined Sao Paulo on a short-term deal this week.
His agent, meanwhile, tells UOL that clubs in England, Mexico and America were rebuffed along the way.
“Wolverhampton (Wanderers), Monterrey and Los Angeles FC were on the table,” Junior Pedroso explains.
“(But) Lucas began to see requests from Sao Paulo fans for him to come back. And he went with the crowd.
“Lucas is very happy to have returned to Sao Paulo. The love he has for the club is impressive. We went to the training ground and, when we got there, he started to shake with emotion.”
Wolves reportedly opened talks with Lucas early in the summer; Tottenham opting not to trigger the 12-month extension clause in his contract.
With Financial Fair Play concerns restricting Julen Lopetegui’s spending power, the Black Country outfit have been forced to prioritise affordable, low-risk additions. Targeting West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell while bringing Matt Doherty back to Molineux.
Reports of a £20 million bid for Bristol City’s Championship Young Player of the Year Alex Scott, at least, suggests there is room in Wolves’ budget for a more ambitious addition before September’s deadline.
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