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Neymar once describedLucas Moura's January deadline day transfer to Tottenham as "very unfair". Lucas joinedParis Saint-Germain from Sao Paulo in 2013 for £33.5million, establishing himself as one of Brazil's brightest talents in world football.

However, by January 2018, the winger had fallen out of favour under then-boss Unai Emery. Tottenham expressed strong interest in acquiring the pacey attacker that month and managed to secure the then-25-year-old on deadline day for £25m.

He signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with Spurs, becoming their record January signing at the time. Yet, his sudden departure fromPSG didn't sit well with his compatriot and close friend,Neymar, who was then among the world's biggest stars and had moved to PSG for a world-record sum the previous summer.

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Neymar felt Lucas, who had enjoyed his best campaign the season before with 12 goals, was unfairly sidelined by Emery. Despite the Brazilian superstar's objections, his own arrival had played a significant role in Lucas' reduced playing time.

"I'm sad because he's a good friend, a quality player who has been used very little," the former Barcelona man said following PSG's Coupe de la Ligue semi-final win at Rennes.

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"I think it's very unfair. He's my brother in football. I wish him all the best. Regardless of the destination, I hope he'll score a lot of goals and that he'll return to the Brazil team."

Neymar continued: "He's not just a friend, he's someone who has a lot of quality. He could have been used a lot more here, I'm sure of that, but I'm not the team's owner. For me, he should never have left Paris."

Despite those comments, Lucas was thrilled about his move to thePremier League. The club announced his arrival with a clip in which he shook hands with former PSG team-mate Serge Aurier.

Lucas said: "I’m so, so happy. It’s a new chapter in my life, a new challenge for me. I’ve joined a big club with big players and I look forward to playing and helping the team.

"I can play in the Champions League, which is a big objective for me and to make new friends is always a pleasure. I will give my best for this club. I think we have a lot of quality and I think we can win big things."

He came close to achieving exactly that when he netted a stunning second-half hat-trick against Ajax in 2019, securing a memorable Champions League semi-final victory on aggregate. Sadly for Spurs, they fell short against Liverpool in the final, although Lucas' contribution etched his place into club folklore.

Lucas later helped Spurs reach the EFL Cup final in 2020/21, where they were also beaten by Manchester City. In January 2023, five years after joining, it was confirmed that his contract wouldn't be renewed in north London.

He signed for his boyhood club, Sao Paulo, in August that year. The 33-year-old continues to be an important player for the Brazilian giants and extended his contract until the end of 2026 last December.