Besiktas unsure over Lucas Leiva deal

If Lucas were to swap Liverpool for Besiktas over the coming weeks, he would be one of several players to have moved from England to the Super Lig already this summer.

The Brazilian midfielder was expected to leave the Reds after falling down the pecking order at Anfield and the Turkish outfit believed they were on the brink of agreeing a season-long loan deal.

Besiktas were so convinced that a loan deal had been agreed that they are thought to have been stunned by Rodgers’ praise of the player after the game, where he credited Lucas with being our “best defensive midfielder”.

Now Besiktas president Fikret Orma has told a press conference: “Liverpool do not want him to go”.

Milner is quoted in the Liverpool Echo, among other newspapers, saying that he may have been still sitting on the bench at the Etihad Stadium whereas he has played every minute of the opening three games at Liverpool.

The Daily Mirror reported on Wednesday morning that Lucas would re-join the first-team squad ahead of Saturday’s home clash with West Ham.

An injury to captain Jordan Henderson looks to have given Lucas a chance to prove his worth to manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of his proposed move to Turkey.