Tottenham are yet to do any business in the January transfer window, but, just as they did in the summer, it seems the north London side are leaving it late to add to the squad. Despite rumours linking them with moves for Brazilian pair David Neres and Malcom this month, another from the south American powerhouse is supposedly closing in on a move to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
RMC Sport claim Lucas Moura has penned a four-year deal with the Premier League side and all that is left is for Spurs and PSG to agree a fee for the 25-year-old to officially complete his move to London. Moura has very much struggled for regular game time under Unai Emery this season, registering just 72 minutes of top-flight action for the Ligue 1 leaders across five substitute appearances.
In that time, the winger has chipped in with one goal and one assist. Of those to have had a direct hand in more than one Ligue 1 goal this season, Moura is registering a goal or assist more frequently (every 36 minutes) than any other player. Of course, there are reservations over the Brazilian given his lack of game time and Spurs’ previous forays into the French market, particularly for wingers considering the performances of Clinton N’Jie and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou before their respective loan moves to Marseille and Burnley.
A move for Moura, though, feels like another move away from the previous mantra of buying young diamonds in the rough, smoothing out the edges and selling for a high price at a later date. Moura is an established Ligue 1 winger who has previously been linked with a move to Manchester United and would likely still have a first team spot with the French side had PSG not spent big to sign Neymar and Kylian Mbappe over the summer.
The wideman was prolific at the Parc des Princes last season, scoring 12 and returning a further five assists to yield a WhoScored rating of 7.41; only Marco Verratti (7.54) gained better. Importantly, though, is that Moura’s seemingly impending arrival affords Pochettino a further wide option, a weapon that Spurs have been lacking this term, particularly in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Lucas Moura: Of those to have a direct hand in more than 1 goal, Moura is providing a goal or assist more frequently (every 36 minutes) than any other player in Ligue 1 this season
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 26, 2018
Full player stats -- https://t.co/ZkPed5zjQA pic.twitter.com/lFT6wFJnXn
On a number of occasions this season, Spurs have struggled to break down compact opponents, with Heung-min Son Pochettino’s sole quality wide outlet, and even then, the South Korean is better served playing more centrally. In Moura, the Argentine would have another option to help stretch opponents having completed more dribbles (349) than any other Ligue 1 player since the start of the 2012/13 season.
What’s more, Moura established a commendable partnership with current Spurs right-back Serge Aurier down PSG’s right flank last season and the opportunity to link up once more could help the duo rediscover their best form. Provided Moura can replicate his performances in a PSG shirt in north London, Spurs could well be landing the perfect attacker to help land a top-4 spot.
Having not featured in the Champions League either, Moura is available in the latter stages of the European competition and this comes as a tremendous boost to any potential suitor. This is a move that could well suit all parties as Moura gets regular game time in a World Cup year, Spurs’ strength in depth improves and PSG get another player off of the wage bill.
