BBC Radio 5 Live’s Alan Hutton has suggested that Lucas Moura could push for a move away from Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of more regular game-time.
The Lowdown: Lack of minutes for Moura
Last month, Football Insider revealed that Spurs have no plans to offload the Brazilian in the summer, despite the instant impact made by January arrival Dejan Kulusevski.
Whilst the 29-year-old has made 27 appearances in the Premier League this season, in recent weeks the majority of these have come off the bench. In the last seven games for which he has been available, the winger has been used as a substitute on six occasions and was left on the bench in the other.
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The Latest: Hutton’s claim on Moura
Hutton, who regularly features as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and previously played for Tottenham, believes that Moura will not be content with a squad role in Antonio Conte’s squad.
Speaking with Football Insider, the Scot claimed: “Look, I don’t think anybody’s happy playing second fiddle. Kulusevski’s come in and he’s done really well. So sometimes you just need to hold your hands up and say: ‘At this moment in time, he’s playing better.’
“It’s now down to Lucas Moura to go and prove his worth. To go and show that he’s still capable of playing at a high level consistently.
“What (age) is he, just turning 30? I always believe that at that age, you want to be playing. Obviously, it’s going to come down to him and how he feels but he’ll want to be playing football.
“Nobody wants to be second fiddle. That’s just how footballers are wired. Everybody wants to play so it’s going to come down to him and how he feels. I’m pretty sure he won’t want to sit on the bench week in, week out.”
The Verdict: Would be a disappointing exit
Given Moura’s heroics in Tottenham's 2018/19 Champions League semi-final against Ajax, lots of Spurs fans would surely be sad to see the Brazilian go.
As a squad option, he would be of huge value to Conte. He would allow the likes of Kulusevski and Heung-min Son to be rotated, providing fresh legs in the final minutes.
Indeed, the 29-year-old would still have plenty to offer to Spurs. He has been involved in 13 goals this season, scoring six, while only three team-mates have taken more shots per game and he has the best dribbling record of anyone in N17, completing two per match.
Therefore, Conte’s decision to drop the winger to the bench could prove to be the catalyst in the 29-year-old’s Lilywhites exit.
In other news: Spurs are now the favourites to sign this England international