Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Liverpool Rubbish Lucas Exit Reports

Liverpool will not be selling Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva despite speculation that he would help balance the books after Kenny Dalglish's heavy spending this summer.

The Reds do not normally comment on transfer speculation, and are making no official response concerning the rumours, but a source at the club told ESPNsoccernet: ''There is nothing to say about this. It is rubbish''.

Lucas was voted Player of the Year last season at Anfield, but with £49 million of new players brought in to bolster the midfield over the summer - Stewart Downing from Aston Villa, Sunderland's Jordan Henderson and Blackpool's Charlie Adam - competition in his department is fierce and the Brazilian's options might be more limited.

Reports in Tuesday's newspapers claimed Lucas was not prepared to risk spending six months on the bench, having recently returned from the Copa America. It was suggested he could make a £6 million exit with Italy the most likely destination.

However, having only signed a new deal in March, Dalglish sees Lucas as part of his future plans and still views him as a starter ahead of the likes of Joe Cole, Alberto Aquilani, Christian Poulsen, Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing.

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