Rafa Benitez would like to sign Lucas Leiva as part of any deal which would take Georginio Wijnaldum to Anfield.
According to the Telegraph, our former boss is keen on reuniting with the player who he signed from Gremio for £5 million in the summer of 2007. He is now the only Red remaining in the squad from the Rafa era.
The article even suggests that Benitez might offer Lucas the captain’s armband in an attempt to convince him to drop down a tier into the Championship. Newcastle recently allowed their long-serving captain Fabricio Coloccini to return to Argentina.
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It’s thought Lucas himself is not keen on the idea of moving down a division, but the close personal bond between himself and Rafa could sway him.
The Telegraph speculate that the Lucas negotiation is what’s holding up the deal. They claim that a deal would be worth £27 million, but only £20 million of that would be paid in cash if the Brazilian agrees to move.