1.2 Key Passes/Game With 88.1% Accuracy – Manchester United And Chelsea Target Set To Stay In Brazil

Cruzeiro midfielder Lucas Silva could stay at the club come January as the club’s executive director Alexandre Mattos revealed that no one has approached the club regarding Silva. When asked about Silva’s potential departure, Mattos said, “Nobody has contacted me.”

The Brazilian had been linked with several clubs, but according to rumours, Chelsea and Real Madrid were ahead of everyone else in signing the 21-year old.

After learning of Real Madrid’s interest, Silva recently revealed that he would love to play for them, “When a club like Real Madrid want you, it always makes you feel proud and happy. I know that I have to be focused here at Cruzeiro, that’s my club, but interest from Real Madrid inspires me to keep working hard.

“Of course I’d like to play for Real Madrid, it would be an honour. But for that to happen, an agreement between the clubs would need to be put in place first. I’m a Cruzeiro player and have so much respect for my club. If a club like Real Madrid came along, I wouldn’t turn them down,” he told Spanish newspaper MARCA.

This comes as an even bigger blow for Chelsea and Jose Mourinho, even though they have no shortage of midfielders at the moment. Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira is being linked with a move away from the club, and Silva could be an ideal replacement for the German. He can play as a holding midfielder or a box-to-box midfielder.

Silva has made 13 appearances so far this season and has been a key figure in the team’s performances. His presence provides the security to the backline, and since he is Brazilian, he isn’t afraid to turn on the style when needed. His playmaking stats are impressive too. His passing accuracy stands at 88.1% and he also averages 1.2 key passes per game.

Manchester United and Tottenham also interested

According to Daily Star, Manchester United and Tottenham are also being linked with the talented midfielder. United’s manager Louis Van Gaal has identified several targets for the defensive midfield position with Silva being one of them.

On the other hand, Mauricio Pochettino is yet to break the bank in the transfer market. Silva’s signature could be the one that the Argentine is looking for.