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With the arrival of Emre Can and Adam Lallana, Liverpool's midfield is suddenly a crowded place to be. Along with Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen, Philippe Coutinho, and Lucas, there are now seven players fighting for three positions. And after suggestions early in the summer that Lucas could be on his way out, it's hardly surprising he's now being linked with a move away.
That he's rumoured to be heading towards a Napoli move doesn't surprise, either, given former manager Rafa Benitez is in charge there. What is somewhat surprising is that Sky Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio is reporting that Lucas' potential move wouldn't be a permanent one—he would only be heading to Italy on loan, with Liverpool still paying a portion of his £60k per week salary.
If as rumoured all sides are open to the deal, Lucas could soon be on his way to Italy, a victim of Brendan Rodgers' embrace of an all-out attacking system that judges even the performance of his holding midfielders on chances created and attacking influence. If he does go, that Lucas has never seemed fully recovered from his ACL injury will also have played a role.
With that in mind, and though many would be sad to see him leave, the slower pace of Serie A with its focus on tactic and technique could be perfectly suited to Lucas, giving his career just the boost it needs at a time when his chances in England appear to be dwindling.
