Player to Watch: Lucas Leiva

As the end of the Premier League season comes into sight, so to does the start of what has been termed “silly season.” This is the time of year when the message boards are packed with all sorts of ridiculous proclamations–Henry and Villa to Liverpool for £50 million each, Sheva to Reading, and everybody to Newcastle. I’d like to ignore that sort of thing, and instead try to throw out some names of players that you might not be aware of yet. Today’s player is GremioLiverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva

I had a great plan; there were a load of big clubs clamoring for the signature of the player that many people were calling the next Dunga. He is captiain of the Brazillian U-20 National Team, has been called up by the senior Brazillian squad, took his team Gremio from the second division to a Copa Libertadores (the South American equivalent of the Champions League) in one year, and was named the Brazillian League’s player of the year. Lucas Leiva was clearly a player to watch, what I didn’t take into account was that somebody was already watching him, because today Liverpool announced that they secured Leiva’s services.

Judging by the responses on the various message boards after this move was announced, most people do not know much about Leiva. He is, by Brazillian standards, a defensive midfielder, but this is like saying that I, in chimpanzee terms, am an accomplished writer. Because the typical midfielder that Brazil produces is constantly on the attack, any player that can track back and tackle is suddenly a defensive player. I’ll let Tim Vickery, the BBC’s South American football reporter, describe Leiva.

Who is Lucas Leiva? What is his true position? And based on a previous article about South American youngsters leaving too early, eg. Gabriel Paletta, is Lucas ready to come to the Premiership just yet?
Mark Williams, Leamington Spa (and many others)

These moves are always a gamble, but I think this is a good one.

He’s an exciting player of a type that Brazilian football hasn’t produced too many of recently. Of late their central midfielders have tended to be ‘holders’ who sit and allow the full-backs to push forward.

Lucas is different. He’s a big, blonde figure whose power and physical strength comes with attacking ability.

He can pass well and loves to rumble forward. He gets on the scoresheet both with blistering shots from range and from bursting beyond the strikers.

You can certainly imagine him playing alongside Javier Mascherano, for example.

I don’t have the same fears for him as I did with Paletta. He’s had two full seasons behind him – one helping Gremio win promotion from the second division, and then last year’s success when he was chosen as the player of the championship.

In a perfect world you might want him to stay another year before moving on, but (a) Gremio need to sell to balance the books and (b) with Liverpool’s strength in depth in central midfield it looks as if his first campaign will be a bedding in season.

Judging by the responses on the Gremio boards, which ranged from saying this deal is a steal to guaranteeing that Lucas will be the best player in the world within five years, it looks as if Liverpool have done a nice piece of business.