Feb 29 2008by Christopher Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post
LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has revealed that Lucas is attracting the attention of a host of European clubs - but he has no intention of selling the Brazilian starlet as he has the mentality to become the new Steven Gerrard.
Despite the 21-year-old only arriving from Gremio in the summer, several sides on the continent have already been courting him.
But Benitez insists that Lucas is going nowhere and the midfielder, who has started in Liverpool’s last five matches, has a big part to play in the club’s future.
He said: “We’ve had offers for Lucas but we said ‘no’ because we want to keep him.
“Clubs have asked about him. Clubs in Italy and Spain – maybe 10 in La Liga. Good clubs in Spain and clubs in Italy who will pay more money.”
Benitez believes that one of the player’s major assets is a mental strength rarely seen in such players.
He said: “Lucas was the captain of Gremio and Brazil’s under-21 team. He has two caps with the senior national team.
“He’s a player with a very good mentality and quality. He’s very professional, focused, and a fantastic player.
“I don’t have any problem with him. If you need to take a penalty, Gerrard will be there and Lucas can be there – he has a very good mentality.”
Benitez added: “He likes football. His uncle (Leivinha) was a former player at Atletico Madrid. He’s very focused and is a good professional.
“When he first arrived here and needed to improve his English he was not playing.
“I talked to him and he said ‘Hey I’m okay, I’m improving’. He is learning and when I bought him I thought he’d be able to play in the big games like Inter in his first season.”
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