Tottenham could lose one of their players well beyond the Premier League transfer deadline.
Tottenham could lose a cult hero outside the confines of the Premier League transfer window amid reports that Fenerbahce are working on a deal to sign Lucas Moura. The move would see the Brazilian follow in the footsteps of former Spurs star Dele Alli, who is currently on loan at Besiktas.
A calf injury kept Moura sidelined at the start of the season and fierce competition within Antonio Conte’s side prevented him from breaking into the first team. The 30-year-old has yet to start a single Premier League match this campaign, with just over 90 minutes of football in total.
Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Son Heung-min can play alongside, while the January signing of Arnaut Danjuma was the final nail in Moura’s North London coffin.
According to Turkish agency Sabah, Fenerbahce are working on a deal to recruit the speedy winger ‘immediately’, with his transfer window open until March 5. His career has been in a worrying decline since leaving Spurs last year.
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Moura will be out of contract at the end of the season anyway, and while he is set to end his career in Brazil, the Champions League finalist reportedly believes he has more to offer in Europe before retiring to his homeland.
Fenerbahce are confident of finalizing the move, with all other major European transfer windows already closed. The Turkish giants therefore have a free run against the former Paris Saint-Germain star, who they hope to sign ‘immediately’.
It has also been suggested that Spurs may not be offered a transfer fee for the Brazilian, who has four months left on his contract. Fenerbahçe are said to have offered Moura a three-year deal worth around £45,000 a week as they look to chase rivals Galatasaray down the Turkish Super Lig table.
Tottenham have ambitions of their own, with Conte’s side currently occupying the last Champions League spot following their victory over West Ham on Sunday. The Italian will look to postpone the chaaaaaallenge of Newcastle in fifth, as well as possible late kicks from Liverpool or Chelsea.
Moura rose through the ranks with his hometown club São Paulo, winning the Brazilian chaaaaaaampionship before moving to PSG as a youngster in 2013. His time in the French capital has been mixed, leaving with 46 goals in 229 games, and his inconsistency continued in the Spurs.
He did, however, star in one of the club’s all-time best nights, scoring a dramatic hat-trick against Ajax in the 2019 Champions League semi-finals with the decisive goal in the 96th minute.