Cast your minds back to the summer of 2012, when Manchester United were hot on the trail of Lucas Moura, a Brazilian youngster who was fostering a fantastic reputation at the time.
Sir Alex Ferguson fought gamely for his signature, but in the end was forced out of the running by the newly moneyed Paris Saint Germain. Whilst the fans were disappointed, they were more than willing to accept that the club would have been wrong to shell out £37m for a player who had yet to fulfil his potential.
As it happens, PSG were wrong too. Moura has struggled to adapt in Ligue 1 and has never been quite as effective as he was prior to his big money move. Whilst at Sao Paulo, the Brazilian scored 19 goals during a 2 year period. Since moving to PSG a year and a half ago, he’s found the back of the net just three times.
I guess a price-tag that big comes with a whole heap of expectations and pressure. That strikes me as a serious case of diminishing returns.
Fast forward 18 months from United’s attempts to sign Moura and it seems that there’s still some vestigial interest from the Red Devils. That’s according to The Mirror, who claim that the Brazilian is a key part of United’s ‘recruitment drive’.
Perhaps this isn’t all that surprising. United are still in desperate need of an attacking midfielder who can add some flair, ingenuity and craft to the squad.
Their current options are too predictable, too static and ineffective to drive the club up the Premier League table. Lucas Moura, on the other hand, would be a welcome breath of fresh air.
It would certainly be interesting to see whether PSG would be willing to take a hit on their £37m investment. After all, I can’t see the club being willing to cough up that kind of money, even with their current level of need.
Moura’s move to Paris hasn’t really worked out and as such, I’m sure he’d fancy yet another change of scenery. Whilst moving to the Premier League would up the stakes, it would also furnish him with another opportunity to prove himself.
If David Moyes can get him at a fair price, then I’m sure this transfer would be a big step forward for Manchester United.
What’s your take? Is the time right for Manchester United to move back in for Lucas Moura?
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