Crystal Palace agreed a fee with Santos for the Brazil international in the summer, but things do not appear quite as simple this time.
A report in The Sun has suggested that Crystal Palace still want to bring summer target Lucas Lima to Selhurst Park during the January transfer window, but a potential deal appears to have hit a stumbling block.
The Sun reports that the Eagles had agreed a £12m fee with Santos during the previous window but were unable to complete a move for the Brazil international as he decided to stay put.
Lucas Lima (L) of Brazil
However, Palace appear keen to try their luck again with The Sun suggesting that Alan Pardew has been working on a potential bid since the end of the summer window.
And it seems that Crystal Palace could have a little more luck this time around with Chelsea pair and Lima’s international teammates David Luiz and Oscar convincing him about the idea of moving to London and the Premier League (via The Sun).
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew
But while that appears to have worked, The Sun hints that an agreement regarding a fee could be more difficult to come by this time around with Palace refusing to pay more than £8m given that Lima’s current deal expires in 12 months time.
It would arguably be a gamble for the club to pay more. Though the attacking midfielder has been on their radar for several months, there is no guarantee that he will find the transition to the English game easy, especially if he was previously unconvinced about making the switch.
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