Lucas has played a prominent role in pre-season so far but just has one year left on his contract.
Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva in action
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has been again linked with a move away from the club this summer with the Daily Mirror reporting that Galtasaray have opened negotiations over a £2.5 million deal for the Brazilian midfielder.
Lucas’s role in the side has become a little less regular over the past couple of seasons but at the same time has shown that he can have a role to play with the Reds.
Manager Jurgen Klopp has been reshaping his squad for much of the summer and there has been no word on whether he wants to extend Lucas’s contract, though the Brazilian has been playing a big part in pre-season having featured in all four of the Reds games so far. He limped off in the win over Huddersfield on Wednesday but travelled to the United States to be part of Liverpool’s pre-season tour.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp and Lucas Leiva
It seems like the ball is firmly in the court of the 29-year-old. Given the pretty active part he is playing in pre-season so far, if he wants to leave the club this summer then it looks as if it would be on his own terms.
It feels like something of an annual event that Lucas is linked away from Liverpool. Last season when the Reds played Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, he was substituted and seemed to wave goodbye to the away end in that 0-0 draw – suggesting that he was departing the club only to still be here today, while there was speculation surrounding his future a season earlier.
Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva in action with Wigan’s Jason Pearce
Klopp is clearly trying to trim down his squad to some extent, even if there are several new arrivals at the club as he prepares for a season without European football while moulding a side that is more in his own image, but there does seem to be a role within the squad for Lucas should he wish to remain.
He’s the club’s longest serving player and he is the senior player among a strong Brazilian contingent, which should also be taken into account when it comes to discussing his value to Liverpool as well as what he offers on the pitch.
Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva in action
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