Manchester United: Reasons Why Lucas Moura Would Be a Stupid Move by Red Devils

Lucas Moura has been heavily linked with a move to either Manchester United, Internazionale or Real Madrid, according to the Daily Mail.

The Brazilian playmaker is one of the hottest properties on the market this summer and seems destined to move on from his current club Sao Paulo.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been credited with a huge interest in him and could be willing to break the bank.

Here are five reasons why that is not a good idea for the Red Devils.

Price

Money talks in football, and just about anyone coming out of Brazil with big potential is going to cost the earth.

Big fees have been attributed to the likes of Paulo Henrique Ganso, Neymar and Dede. Lucas Moura is no different.

Several sources, including Goal.com, have suggested a bidding war looms between Manchester United, Real Madrid and Internazionale.

This is exactly what Sir Alex Ferguson needs to avoid, as Sao Paulo will play them off each other to achieve a highly inflated price for their star man.

The Red Devils aren't exactly rolling in it, and while reinforcements are needed to wrestle the title off close rivals Manchester City next year, £30 million cannot be spent on a teenager.

Wage Demands

Despite Lucas Moura being interested in a move to the red side of Manchester, according to the Daily Mail, he will still demand an astronomical wage packet of around £110,000 per week (via Goal.com.)

It's quite unbelievable that a 19-year-old could ask for so much, especially considering Manchester United aren't exactly looking to dish out wages of that kind to just anyone.

There are supposedly only two players who break the £100,000 per-week mark at United—Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand—and while others comes close, the Red Devils simply don't pay out like Internazionale and Real Madrid do.

Not only would they be subject to a vastly inflated fee, but they would also end up paying over £5 million per year to a prospect.

Squad Depth Sufficient?

Lucas Moura is very much an attacking midfielder. He plays anywhere across the advanced midfield line, but simply cannot thrive in a flat midfield four.

Concerns were already raised about Shinji Kagawa's ability to play in central midfield, and it is widely expected and hoped that Sir Alex Ferguson changes formation to accommodate a traditional attacking midfielder next season.

Is Ferguson looking at spending a combined £47 million on players who don't even fit into his current formation? Probably not.

The wings are full, too, as Ashley Young won't be sold but needs to improve, Nani is negotiating a new deal (via Goal.com) and Antonio Valencia is one of the best in the world at what he does.

Anderson and Tom Cleverly are both natural in the AMC position, laying further credence to the suggestion that this part of Manchester United's squad is full.

Address More Pressing Issues

Following on from the previous slide about squad depth in Lucas Moura's playing positions, it has to be said that Manchester United look short in other areas.

Why spend £30 million on Lucas when left-back needs addressing and defensive midfield needs recruitment?

Leighton Baines is reportedly a target—according to the Daily Mail—for Sir Alex Ferguson, and his acquisition would ramp up the pressure on a slack, underperforming Patrice Evra.

In addition to this, a long-term replacement for stalwart Paul Scholes must be found, and Javi Martinez, a target many United fans want at Old Trafford, has been linked in the past (via talkSPORT.)

Swap Deal Is No Good

Reports are also circling that, should Manchester United fail to match the cash of their opposition in a bidding war, they will try to sweeten the deal with a player exchange.

Anderson is the one who is supposedly being packed up and shoved out of the door, having spectacularly failed to live up to an expensive £25 million transfer fee (via Caught Offside.)

The Brazilian playmaker is determined to impress, though, and the Anderson-Tom Cleverley partnership was a strong one before injuries disrupted it in the early stages of last season.

Ridding Anderson would create a hole in the roster at central midfield, while Lucas Moura is not a direct replacement.

This, unfortunately, causes more problems than it solves. The previous slides allude to the squad depth in Lucas' position, and this transfer only complicates this issuer further.