Liverpool have reportedly accepted a £5 million bid from Serie A club Lazio for midfielder Lucas Leiva
According to a report by ESPN, Liverpool have accepted a bid for Lucas Leiva, allowing the midfielder to leave this summer. The 30-year-old has been permission given to travel to Italy and discuss personal terms with Lazio and undergo a medical ahead of a possible move.
Leiva is in the final 12 months of his Liverpool contract and has been faced an uncertain future at Anfield for a while now, but it seems like he could be well on his way to join Lazio this summer.
Interestingly, Leiva currently is Liverpool’s longest-serving player and has made over 300 appearances for the Merseyside club since joining from Brazilian club Gremio back in 2007. The 30-year-old has been a mainstay in the Reds midfield over this period, but things have changed drastically this season.
The midfielder made only three Premier League starts in the previous campaign, and was part of an intense squad-rotation system devised by manager Jurgen Klopp. The German boss has shown a preference for the likes of Jordan Henderson and Emre Can over the Brazilian, and game-time has been tough to come by for Leiva.
While he might not have been the first player on the team sheet, he does hold some importance in the squad solely due to his abundance of experience. The Brazilian midfielder, along with James Milner, are two of the senior most players in an otherwise young side.
Leiva has spent ten illustrious years at Liverpool, but now it looks like it is time for him to move on. He is strong at central defence and his versatility and experience will surely come as an asset for Italian side Lazio. In fact, the player came close to leaving Liverpool in January to join Inter Milan but that did not work out.
For a player like Leiva to join Lazio will certainly come as a boost for the Italian club since he can bring in so much experience and knowledge. He is versatile and does not lack for talent which can help strengthen Lazio’s midfield. Additionally, he will also receive adequate playing time when compared to Liverpool and that’s what he needs now.