Liverpool have decided to listen to offers for our longest serving player Lucas Leiva, reports the Echo.
The 28-year-old, who’s been with the club since we acquired him from Gremio in 2007, is now surplus to requirements, Brendan Rodgers and the coaching staff have decided.
The Echo claim that Liverpool are looking for £8m for the anchoring midfielder, who was left out of match-day squad to face Stoke on Sunday.
According to the report, this left the midfielder ‘crestfallen’, and he’s now looking to move on himself, with Serie A his likely destination.
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Lucas is Liverpool’s 6th choice central midfielder, it seems. James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Coutinho started in the middle versus the Potters, while Emre Can came of the bench and did well. The injured Joe Allen is also rated by Brendan Rodgers and will be above Lucas in the pecking order when fit.
If Lucas is sold though, we’ll need to get a replacement in before the start of the season. With a 4-3-3 formation expected, we’ll need more than five central midfielders to navigate four competitions this term, especially taking potential injuries into account.
Lucas has been a wonderful servant to Liverpool, and an underrated player in terms of his ability, too. It’s key that if he is sold, the parties separate harmoniously, and he’s treated with the respect he’s earned during his eight year stay.