Lucas Is Not Headed To Galatasaray

Lucas Leiva was given the all-clear by Jürgen Klopp to head to Galatasaray this summer given that Liverpool had plenty of midfield players available for the season. But with recent injuries to James Milner and Marko Grujic, it may be that Liverpool’s old boy needs to stay and make up the numbers.

Lucas has spent another summer making headlines by simply living a quiet and profession life and generally just being very much Lucas Leiva, the nice human being who enjoys making an honest living playing his favorite game. Each of the last few summers have seen him off to here or there for one reason or another. But the man loves to stick around. And all and sundry can debate his usefulness or his worthiness, but he does a job. And he loves the club.

Throughout this summer transfer window Lucas’ most likely destination has been Turkey, with Galatasaray showing interest and readying a £2.5m bid for the 29-year-old midfielder. But, as of today, the word on the Istanbul wire is that a move for Lucas has gone back into the freezer. Dead, I mean. Done.

Galatasary’s sporting director, Levent Nazifoglu, has said that any deal on the table for Lucas Leiva has been exhausted and that Galatasaray will now look elsewhere for a new best friend/defensive midfielder.

“We are no longer pursuing Lucas Leiva,” said Nazifoglu. “We will continue efforts to sign alternative names instead.”

So, Lucas Leiva remains a Liverpool player, for now. And by all appearances, the Brazilian seems on good terms with Klopp and, if the man is still in red come the final transfer window whistle, he would surely be given time on the pitch this season whether it’s against weaker opposition, during cup games or as cover for the inevitable injuries to his teammates.

There’s a lot of experience in that ‘ol Brazilian cowboy, and if Lucas can accept a reduced role in this Liverpool team, I’d love to see him stick around.