Tottenham Hotspur will not let winger Lucas Moura leave for free at the end of the season, according to Lilywhite Rose insider John Wenham.
The Lowdown: Moura keen to run contract down
The 30-year-old’s contract reportedly runs until the summer of 2023 with the option of an additional 12 months.
Football Insider have recently reported that the Brazilian is looking to run down his Spurs contract and leave on a free transfer upon its expiry.
This follows the north London club rejecting two deadline day loan offers from Newcastle and Aston Villa, which the player himself would have been keen on exploring.
The Latest: 'Something amiss...'
If the extra year option is not activated, Wenham believes Lucas could end up signing a new deal with Tottenham as the club would not allow him to leave on a free transfer.
Reacting to the claims of the player running his deal down in a chat with Football Insider, the Lilywhites 'insider' said:
“I had zero interest in sanctioning any loan move for Lucas.
“He has a small injury at the moment, he hasn’t just been left out. He is injured. When he recovers from that injury he will be back in the squad.
“Unless someone is offering a permanent £20million move then I have no interest. I have seen some reports that Brazil that say he is willing to let his contract run out at the end of the season.
“As I understood it, when Tottenham announced his signing they said he has a deal until 2024. So, there is something amiss there.
“Maybe it is a one-year extension that either side could activate? I’m a little unsure but Tottenham will not be willing to just let him leave for nothing.
“He is a sellable asset and a good player.
“I think Tottenham will do whatever they can to extend that contract so he doesn’t leave on a free at the end of the season.”
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The Verdict: Sellable asset
Despite a lack of game time in the Premier League this season - just 12 minutes to be exact - Moura’s stats in a Spurs shirt illustrate Wenham’s belief that Fabio Paratici will want to command a transfer fee for the winger’s services.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the attacker ranks in the 98th percentile for aerials won, in the 96th percentile for clearances and in the 88th percentile for assists, showing his usefulness on both sides of the ball.
Given these stats are based on the highest level of football across Europe, Moura certainly still has the ability to perform on the biggest of stages.
This is further exemplified by his statistical comparisons, with his play-style on a par with the likes of Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise when looking at the underlying data.
Spurs must do all they can to avoid losing the 30-year-old on a free.