Rohan Sengupta
Jose Mourinho’s wish to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Lucas Moura during the January transfer window could be granted after the Ligue 1 club’s manager Unai Emery admitted that fringe players could be allowed to move in order to gain regular playing time.
However, PSG are not willing to loan the Brazilian winger as they attempt to generate income following last summer’s spending which included the world-record transfer of Neymar from Barcelona. Lucas has been identified as a player who can leave and it is understood that there is strong interest from United, although as yet, no offer has been made.
The United boss has identified the Brazilian winger as one of his top targets for the winter transfer window and is keen to bring him to Old Trafford.
With the high-profile arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe last summer, Lucas has seen his opportunities severely limited this season and has made just a handful of substitute appearances. He has made just six appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 leaders this campaign.
“Some players who play less, maybe they can be protagonists of another team because they are good players and do not have the opportunity to play here, like Lucas Moura or Hatem Ben Arfa,” Emery said, as quoted by French publication L’Equipe.
Lucas is also said to be keen on making a switch this month as he wants to play regular first-team football in the hope of winning his place back in the Brazil squad ahead of the World Cup in Russia in the summer. The Red Devils are ready to provide him an escape route from Paris but will need to come to an agreement with the Ligue 1 outfit.
United know that they have fallen too far behind City and are prepared to do whatever is necessary to catch up. The Red Devils are 15 points behind the Sky Blues. Reports state that Jose is already making plans to bring in two marquee signings in the summer but it is unclear if they will bolster our ranks this month. The gaffer remains desperate to land Paris Saint-Germain’s forgotten star Lucas during the winter window.
This is the second time United will try to sign the nippy winger during his career. The 25-year-old came close to joining United in 2012, when the right-sided forward was wanted by Sir Alex Ferguson, before his move to PSG from Sao Paulo.
