A transfer claim has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur forward Lucas Moura and his future in North London...

What's the talk?

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has revealed that the Brazilian winger could seal an exit from Antonio Conte's squad in the January transfer window.

The reporter has also claimed that he attracted interest from two other Premier League teams over the summer but a move was blocked by the club.

When asked about a January exit for the attacker, he told GIVEMESPORT: “Yes, there’s a real chance that he could possibly leave.

“Lucas Moura has been a good player for Tottenham in fits and bursts, but he has maybe not been as consistent as he possibly could be for some Tottenham fans.

“There was interest in him later on in the transfer window, with Aston Villa and Newcastle keen on him, but Tottenham blocked those loan moves.”

Antonio Conte should push him

The Spurs head coach should push for the 30-year-old to leave in January as Moura has not produced enough in front of goal to be a reliable option at the top end of the pitch.

He played in 34 of the club's 38 Premier League matches last season and only found the back of the net twice. That came after he managed three goals in 30 games in 2020/21 and four strikes in 35 outings in 2019/20.

Among players in his position in Europe's top five leagues over the last 365 days, the former PSG man ranks in the 21st percentile for non-penalty goals and the 56th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 respectively. This shows that he is well below average in terms of goalscoring.

The winger has, therefore, not been consistent in front of goal in recent seasons and that makes him a liability when he is lining up in matches, as Conte knows that he is unlikely to produce a match-winning or point-earning strike for the team if a chance falls his way.

Moura, who has played 204 matches for Tottenham to date, only played 16 minutes of action in the top-flight this season and was an unused substitute against Wolves prior to suffering a calf injury.

This suggests that the signing of Richarlison has pushed him down the pecking order, as his compatriot has played five matches in the Premier League and chipped in with two assists since arriving from Everton in the summer.

Therefore, Moura is unreliable in front of goal and is now a reserve option for Tottenham, which is why Conte should push for him to leave. It could allow the Italian to bring in a signing of his own to compete with the likes of Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane, and Heung-Min Son, or prompt the rise of a player from the academy.