In the likely scenario that we buy a first-choice CB this summer, which would relegate one of Lovren or Matip (probably the former) to 3rd choice, we will have only one spot left open for the 4th-choice CB. I am pretty sure Joe Gomez will be sent out on loan – what he needs at this age and especially after a long injury lay-off is plenty of playing time. So the selection for the 4th choice CB will probably be a straight choice between Klavan and Lucas.
In this scenario, I would actually be really surprised if Lucas is the one who leaves this summer. Now that he has transitioned to CB, he can play in that position for many years to come – it's not like he has any pace to lose. Last season him and Klavan were both seen as 3rd choice at various times, so it's fair to assume that in Klopp's eyes Lucas is roughly on the same level with Klavan purely as a CB. However Lucas has many intangible advantages, as he can also cover the DM position and his status in the locker room is far more established than Klavan. For example, I just watched Lallana's interview about his teammates and he actually chose Lucas as the "hardest" defender at the club – OK, that doesn't sound too reassuring for us and might not even be true, but apparently that's the perception among the players.
He's also the longest-serving player at the club and as such one of the most recognizable players among the fanbase, even though he's not a "star" – how many other players in the squad can you name who have their own personal catchphrase? This year we are back in the Champions League for the first time in a few years – guess who among the current squad has the most CL experience? You guessed it, Lucas fucking Leiva (just checked, Matip has same number of appearances and Milner is a few games behind). In any case, the intangibles all definitely work in his favor, but I think it's more important that in purely football terms it also still somehow doesn't make sense for LFC to let Lucas go. Therefore I don't believe the latest rumours that link him to Lazio and think that Lucas is here to stay for at least another season and probably even longer.
In this scenario, I would actually be really surprised if Lucas is the one who leaves this summer. Now that he has transitioned to CB, he can play in that position for many years to come – it's not like he has any pace to lose. Last season him and Klavan were both seen as 3rd choice at various times, so it's fair to assume that in Klopp's eyes Lucas is roughly on the same level with Klavan purely as a CB. However Lucas has many intangible advantages, as he can also cover the DM position and his status in the locker room is far more established than Klavan. For example, I just watched Lallana's interview about his teammates and he actually chose Lucas as the "hardest" defender at the club – OK, that doesn't sound too reassuring for us and might not even be true, but apparently that's the perception among the players.
He's also the longest-serving player at the club and as such one of the most recognizable players among the fanbase, even though he's not a "star" – how many other players in the squad can you name who have their own personal catchphrase? This year we are back in the Champions League for the first time in a few years – guess who among the current squad has the most CL experience? You guessed it, Lucas fucking Leiva (just checked, Matip has same number of appearances and Milner is a few games behind). In any case, the intangibles all definitely work in his favor, but I think it's more important that in purely football terms it also still somehow doesn't make sense for LFC to let Lucas go. Therefore I don't believe the latest rumours that link him to Lazio and think that Lucas is here to stay for at least another season and probably even longer.
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