Lazio make £5million bid to sign Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva

14 July 2017 16:39

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva will not feature in the club's friendly at Wigan on Friday night after Lazio made a £5million bid to sign him.

The 30-year-old Brazilian is the club's longest-serving current player having just marked a decade on Merseyside - but he is now considering his options.

Press Association Sport understand he will not feature in Jurgen Klopp's squad at the DW Stadium, having played 45 minutes in their first pre-season game at Tranmere on Wednesday.

Lucas made 19 starts in all competitions last season but has recently entered the final year of his contract and knows he is unlikely to get regular game time again in the new campaign,

Over the last couple of seasons the midfielder has attracted interest from a number of clubs in Turkey and Italy but has chosen to stay loyal to Liverpool.

In the last 18 months Klopp has asked Lucas, with 346 appearances for the club, to stay on to provide some much-needed experience.

However, the Reds boss will not stand in the Brazilian's way if he decides he wants to pursue regular first-team football elsewhere.

New signing Mohamed Salah, playmaker Philippe Coutinho and England international Adam Lallana are all set for their first appearances of pre-season against Wigan.

Dejan Lovren and Divock Origi will also be included for the first time but Nathaniel Clyne, Alberto Moreno, Harry Wilson and Danny Ward all miss out due to minor muscle strains.

Away from the first team Steven Gerrard's first match at Liverpool's Under-18 manager got off to a winning start with a 7-0 victory over their Burton Albion counterparts at St George's Park.

The former Reds captain was given the job at the end of last season after spending four months in a roving role at the club's Kirkby academy.

Liam Millar and Rafael Camacho both scored twice with Curtis Jones, Luis Longstaff and a penalty from Adam Lewis completing the scoring in the behind-closed-doors friendly.

Source: PA