What Does the Future Hold for Lucas Moura at Paris Saint-Germain?

At just 23 years old, Lucas Moura should be entering the peak years of his football career. Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, the Brazilian winger has endured a hit-and-miss spell in the French capital.

Perhaps it was the huge transfer fee, the move across the continent or the adjustment to life in Paris, but there is a huge sense that we are yet to see the best of the former Sao Paulo star.

His transition was never going to be made easier this season, but there is still plenty of time for the forward to show the Parc des Princes crowd that he can become a world beater.

At the end of the last campaign, Lucas played five of the final 10 games, but he failed to rediscover the early season form that had promised so much. This is a trend that has often plagued his time since arriving in Paris.

In the two full seasons he’s played for the club, his minutes reduced—although we can blame the injury for that—but more alarmingly, his productivity dropped too.

According to the official Ligue 1 site, Lucas contributed 10 assists and five goals during the 2013/14 campaign, that dropped to five and seven the following year. It definitely shows that the player is a very promising talent, you would just hope that the numbers reflected that.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

The injury, picked up against Caen in February saw him miss seven games, but he only played 42 less minutes than he had the previous campaign.

Signing Angel Di Maria from Manchester United this summer pushed Lucas down the pecking order of PSG’s attack, but the timing of the Argentinian’s signing meant that the fellow South American would start the opening game against Lille.

This was Lucas’ chance to stake a claim, at least give Laurent Blanc some food for thought. The Brazilian couldn’t have asked for more, scoring the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Les Dogues.

In all too common an occurrence, poor performances in the next four league games meant it was just another flash in the pan from the winger, leaving fans, team-mates and most importantly, his coach wanting more.

Due to PSG’s hectic schedule, Lucas has started in nine of his 11 appearances so far, but the most telling statistic is that he has only played 49 minutes over the club’s four Champions League fixtures. No doubt the Brazilian is good enough to play a part in his team’s domination of Ligue 1, but he is just not trusted enough to feature against Europe’s elite.

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Lucas a mis la defense de toulouse en PLS pic.twitter.com/wsfW8300yM

— philippe (@philousports) November 7, 2015"

In recent weeks, the young forward has given Blanc a bit of a selection headache. Two influential appearances off the bench against Saint-Etienne and Toulouse caught the imagination, helping Lucas to finding the net twice. Plus, he assisted the only goal of the game as they beat Rennes 1-0 away from home.

Rather than fight for Di Maria’s place in the team, Lucas is putting pressure on Blanc to consider dropping Edinson Cavani from the starting XI. The Uruguayan’s displays have been less than stellar, and Lucas coming off the bench to make a difference has sparked a conversation among the PSG fans—this could be Lucas’ chance.

If the Brazilian is to prove to his current club that he does have a future in the French capital, this has to be his moment. No longer can he show glimpses of brilliance before dropping off for another five or six games.

Even if Blanc doesn’t give him the start that he craves, coming off the bench and making a telling contribution will increase the pressure with every passing match.

Unless he can find a way to be consistent, his future may lie away from Paris. There is no doubting his ability, but Lucas may have to be content with playing second fiddle or finding a platform where he can perform every week.