Is Lucas Moura now Tottenham Hotspur’s best available centre-forward?
Lucas Moura seemed rejuvenated when Jose Mourinho was appointed as Tottenham Hotspur’s head coach in November.
The Brazilian attacker went from being a bit-part player under Mauricio Pochettino this season to one who has scored five times across all competition since Mourinho arrived in North London.
One reason for this is that the Portuguese manager started playing the former Paris Saint-Germain winger in his favoured position, whereas he had been used in more of a central striking role at times under the ex-Tottenham boss.
In November, shortly after Pochettino’s exit, Lucas said that ‘everyone knows I am not a No 9’ [The Daily Mail].
But it might come to pass that he has to go back playing there from now until April at the earliest.
That’s because Son Heung-min has reportedly been ruled out for the season with a broken arm and, with Harry Kane sidelined for another two months with a hamstring injury, it leaves Mourinho, who failed to sign a striker in January, with very limited options.
It literally seems like it could be a choice between Lucas and 18-year-old rookie Troy Parrott, whom the Portugeuse said was ‘not ready’ last month when asked if the Irish teenager could make him not sign a replacement for Harry Kane.
You feel for Lucas if that’s the case, given he patently does not like playing as a number nine, but it’s a case of needs must for Tottenham right now and he must grin and bear it if Mourinho does take that course of action.
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