It seems that a decision may have been made about Lucas Moura's Tottenham future, as he opened up about his conversations with the club this week. The Brazilian has been one player who has had question marks raised over his future in north London.
Moura made 34 Premier League appearances last season, starting in just 19 of those matches. The 29-year-old was pushed down the pecking order after the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski, who added to the front line and made an instant impact.
However, the winger was someone that Antonio Conte could still rely on, often coming on as one of the first substitutes. Moura has made over 200 appearances for Spurs and is a player who can be introduced in a match to give his side fresh legs and pace, no matter what the situation is that he comes on to.
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Since last year, the Brazilian has spoken about the prospect of him returning to Sao Paulo. After Spurs' final home game of the season in the 2021/22 campaign, Moura seemed more likely to remain at Tottenham, making comments about next season.
"[It's a] huge pleasure for me to be here. Every year, every training session, every game I come and give my best because they [fans] deserve and the feeling is amazing," he admitted.
"The most important for us is to give our best on the pitch to see them like this. Let's fight for more next season and fight for a trophy because they [fans] deserve it."
Just a couple of weeks after, there was yet more talk of the 29-year-old's return to his home country. "Today I have a contract with Tottenham, the fee is difficult for Sao Paulo, there is also the salary," Moura explained. "It’s difficult. The reality is that I do think about returning, but I never made a clear date."
Although this almost seemed like confirmation that the winger would remain in N17 for at least another season, there hadn't been any mention of contact with the club and their hopes for Moura's future in Conte's squad. However the 29-year-old spoke to the Brazilian media on Tuesday and opened up on conversations he has had with Tottenham.
"It’s very likely that I will stay, I already had a conversation with the club, they are interested in me staying," Moura revealed. The 29-year-old went on to explain that it is very likely that he will stay at Spurs.
"Hardly anything will happen in this window. I will hardly leave Tottenham. Of course, we never know what will happen. Even more so with the Champions League spot, so I feel very motivated for next season, to continue," he added.
Moura's mention of the Champions League could also be a reason why the Italian would want to keep the winger at Spurs. The Lilywhites need to improve their squad depth issue, which will become vital next season, as they return to the Champions League and with the re-introduction of the five substitution rule.
Therefore Conte is likely to make more rotations and will need to give some players a rest, to avoid injuries. Just like last season, this is where Moura's role could become crucial.
The 29-year-old will of course want to be playing week in and week out but being a key part of Conte's squad, even if you aren't starting every game, will become really important too. Moura's place in the 52-year-old's squad could also become more crucial, with Steven Bergwijn revealing that he wants to leave this summer.
The Dutchman was also sidelined a lot last season and seemed to be lower in Conte's pecking order than Moura, which is likely a reason why he wants to make a move, especially with the World Cup coming up.
When speaking to the media, the Brazilian reiterated his want to return to Sao Paulo. "It’s possible. Most likely. I don’t like to stick to anything, because we never know, and I don’t want to create false expectations either. But it’s very likely," Moura explained.
"As I said, contract to end. It could be a year, it could be two, depending on the club’s renewal. And at the end of the contract, when I am free, the possibility of returning to Sao Paulo is very high, very high. I always had this dream of returning to Tricolor."
The Brazilian previously commented on the salary issue, which would potentially prevent an early move back to his home country. A loan move could solve this problem but if Conte does want a reliable player like Moura in his squad and the 29-year-old is still happy at Tottenham, it is unlikely he will be going anywhere this summer.
