We always thought that 30 year-old Liverpool holding midfielder Lucas Leiva would have been a good signing for us, but he’s now close to being sold.
News today that Rome club Lazio have agreed a fee of £5M with Liverpool for the Brazilian midfielder.
The deal has not gone through yet, but Sky Sports are reporting the fee has been agreed but personal terms have still to be agreed and then Lucas would need to pass a medical.
Lucas Leiva – close to signing for Lazio
Rafa Benitez signed Lucas for £5M in July of 2007 from Gremio and he has been at the club for 10 years now having played a total of 346 games with 7 goals and 21 assists.
We thought Lucas would have been a great buy for Newcastle and after 10 years at the club it had been thought the Liverpool club would let him leave as a free agent as a reward for his great service.
That would have allowed Lucas to negotiate a really good deal with his new club.
We’re not sure if Rafa was ever interested in signing the player, or whether he may have approached Lucas and the played did not want to come to Newcastle.
He would have given us great experience at the back and the 24 times capped Brazilian Intenrational could play in a number of different potions too.
Lucas also had a very good season last term for the Reds, playing 31 times – 24 of which came in the Premier League – and he scored one of his seven goals for the club – and yes – he went crazy.
Something that happened less than once a year at Liverpool.
But it looks like he’s gone.
Comments welcome.
112 comments so far
ShirebrookToon
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:50 PM
Comment #1Jazzy
Surprised you could see the sea for all those fcuking windmills lol.
Don’t think they were mackem scarfs wrapped round em mate either 😕
Bobbybee
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:51 PM
Comment #2And no, we haven’t missed another of our targets, I’m sure if Rafa wanted him he could’ve got him by lifting up the phone. 🙂
ShirebrookToon
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:51 PM
Comment #3Not really bothered about missing out on Lucas tbh
jazzyp
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:52 PM
Comment #4Shirebrook
Oh my god ya sick git lol.. just eating my chips
ShirebrookToon
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:53 PM
Comment #5Bobby,
It’s because we’re gonna sign Carvalho.
I hope lol
ShirebrookToon
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:54 PM
Comment #6Jazzy
Haha. Hope you haven’t got ketchup on em pal 😛
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:54 PM
Comment #7I’d take James McCarthy, but at half the quoted £25million. I think this is one where playing the long game will pay off with a lower fee. He is a far better player than we have in that role and offers significant experience to our midfield. He, Shelvey, Hayden, plus a creative type to offer competition for Shelvey would leave us well set for that area.
Mind, Leiva at £5million would have been a great option for us. Still, at that price, if we haven’t made a concrete offer it is safe to say we were never interested.
Would be much happier with Murphy than Townsend. The fact nobody has made a play for him, despite his £13million release clause, in todays hugely inflated market is significant of how people within the game view him. A good few months here doesn’t make up for what has been poor to average for the rest of his career.
jazzyp
Jul 14, 2017 at 4:56 PM
Comment #8Binned em
jazzyp
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:00 PM
Comment #9I thought one of Rafa’s quest’s was to build the Academy up with future prospects.
Yet here we are at an advanced stage to sell off one our better prospects??
Bobbybee
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:01 PM
Comment #10Hope you’re right Shirebrook, he would bring a whole new dimension into the team.
220/5 looks like a decent return today. Still time to better that now we’re into the tail somewhat. Now all we need is a good performance tonight to cap it all.
GeordieTwo
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:08 PM
Comment #11Are we going to continue to wait for asking prices to drop to something we prefer right to the end of the window? And then what? Trying to stick to prices that are 5 years out of date won’t work Ashley. Do you really want to see us relegated again? This can’t continue. We aren’t good enough to survive in the Prem as it stands.
GeordieTwo
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:10 PM
Comment #12Raise the offer for Murphy and see what happens Charnley. Make some sort of move or step down.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:13 PM
Comment #13G2,
In some cases the waiting is the right option, in others it isn’t. Everton will continue to buy, by the looks of it, so they will increasingly have a need to sell. That eventually will give the buyer the power. Other situations will see clubs view us as desperate, and they have no reason to sell, this is where we should just be more willing to increase our valuation and match the asking price. There isn’t one solution to every transfer unless you have unlimited funds, which we know we don’t.
Bobbybee
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:14 PM
Comment #14Go on lad. 235/6 and looking goooood! 🙂
YoungMag :P
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:18 PM
Comment #15When’s the game? And can we watch it?
Bobbybee
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:22 PM
Comment #16Quite sure if we’d just had a massive influx of cash like Everton we could spend like them too. Disappointed with the Gibson sale tbh. Can only assume Rafa sanctioned it but we’ll know if he hasn’t! Anybody any idea what they’re paying? ?
GeordieTwo
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:24 PM
Comment #17Good points Lilongwe mate. But there is a way of moving forward called decision by indecision. It seems to be the way Charnley operates. Dither until it is too late. We do have some transfer funds obviously. It comes down to how many players are required and which ones are critical. This window is looking more and more like ones from the past where we dithered right to the end and suffered for it in the season. We are weak at a number of key positions and I don’t see prices falling as the window winds down.
toon kk
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Comment #18Has anyone told Mikey we were promoted?
There’s one thing we’ve got a ready made squad for the championship.
Bobbybee
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Comment #19Young Magpie, 7.45 and yes. You can pay £5.99 to Hearts TV like I have, or I think nick it for free on kodi etc. Someone else might help with that, but at that price you’re guaranteed a good stream so your choice really.
Mister Tuff
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Comment #20giimps/bobbybee thanks for that TV input.
Rotonda heights
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Comment #21why the hell are we letting lewis gibson go to everton?????????????????????????/
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:27 PM
Comment #22Bobby,
They’ve still spend more than they have recouped, and have bid another £40million for Sigurdsson. They will have to keep selling and that could lead to the McCarthy price falling if they get no interest at their asking price. Same goes for Barkley.
GeordieTwo
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:29 PM
Comment #23I like the picture you’ve put up with your user name by the way Lilongwe mate.
Jib
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:32 PM
Comment #24Never been to Trent Bridge
Looks very pleasant
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:32 PM
Comment #25What the F**k’s going on – Something wrong at the club in letting Lewis Gibson go.
Thought we had improved the academy and were bringing in better players not letting them go – ARGHHHHHH!!!
GeordieTwo
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:32 PM
Comment #26Building for the future? By selling Lewis Gibson?
jazzyp
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:33 PM
Comment #27Bobbybee
I don’t see Rafa sanctioning the sale of one of the brightest prospects in the country mate.
His whole philosophy is to build Nufc from the roots up and have a good underbelly so to speak.
What’s the point in building an A1 academy to then sell your best assets.
ronaldo aarons
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:34 PM
Comment #28Don’t think we have a choice with Gibson as he hasn’t got a professional contract so can sign with whoever he wants. Think you have to be 18 but he’s only 17, could be wrong though.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:34 PM
Comment #29G2,
It certainly isn’t looking good so far. Hopefully there is something in progress that we don’t know about. Still, you can’t blame people for getting frustrated and despondent given the clubs track record in the market. Rafa had said he wanted most of the business done by the start of pre season, he has said he is frustrated. Clearly all is not well, but there is still time, and there are still options available to us.
Who is at fault, who knows, easy to point the finger at those who have failed us in the past, but it is unlikely to be as clean cut. The draw of Rafa is probably less than anticipated (certainly less than this blog believed), the prices and wages are ridiculously high, selling clubs want to capitalise on this which is all making it difficult.
Time will tell, but we need to make some progress soon, despite there still being time, the weeks are passing quickly and soon enough the season will be upon us.
GeordieTwo
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:35 PM
Comment #30Panic buying increases as the window closes. And we don’t have a cool, careful MD, we have Charnley. He won’t be forced into panic buying but he hasn’t done his work when he should have. Lee Charnley, the Dauntless Ditherer….
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:35 PM
Comment #31G2,
Cheers
ronaldo aarons
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:35 PM
Comment #32Don’t blame him for going in all honesty. We don’t give opportunities to young players unless there is an injury crisis and even if they play well they are replaced as soon as other players are back.
Bobbybee
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:37 PM
Comment #33Lil, Aye, they won’t want to be sitting on players not part of the squad and still paying wages for them. I’d take Barklay off the like but imagine he’ll go soon enough.
Right, need to stretch my back for a while before the game so taking a break. Later chaps.
Jib
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:37 PM
Comment #34I think folk are mixing Lewis Gibson up with his big brother Liam
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:38 PM
Comment #35Gibson was still just on a scholarship I think, so he is fair game for Everton, unless we can agree something with him or talk him into staying.
GeordieTwo
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:40 PM
Comment #36At any rate, my unease is growing Lilongwe mate. This looks like it will have a terrible ending. We dither and do nothing, window closes, Rafa leaves.
jazzyp
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:40 PM
Comment #37Ronaldo
I think he would have more opportunities here mate than going Everton.
If this is there future transfer model now and spending big every season.Unless Gibson proves to be world class then he’s never gonna dislodge a 40-50 million pound player
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:42 PM
Comment #38Jib,
Will be interesting to see if Liam has made progress to push for a first team squad chance. He could be a reason why left back is so far being ignored, maybe not ready for first choice, but he could be looked at for back up and rotation in cup games as well as Chekatrade.
hibbit
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:42 PM
Comment #39are we selling Lewis ??????
very very disappoint if we are .
will be very surprised if Rafa has approved this !!!!
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 14, 2017 at 5:46 PM
Comment #40G2,
I think most are starting to feel more uneasy at our lack of completed deals. It is far from panic stations though I think, but with the first match now less than a month away (first game 12th August) then we need movement soon or we risk not having our side ready and in place for an opening set of fixtures that could yield good returns if we are prepared fully.