Lucas Silva set to join Sporting Portugal on loan deal

Lucas Silva will play for Sporting Portugal on loan next season, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola. The Brazilian midfielder joined Real Madrid in January 2015 and then spent the past season in Marseille, where he struggled getting minutes.

It's hard to project Lucas Silva playing much for Madrid again unless he starts showing some serious development. He clearly lacked the quickness and rhythm needed to play in Europe during the six months he was with Madrid and he didn't even had what it takes to be a regular in Olympique Marseille.

Perhaps Lucas Silva will find his rhythm in Portugal, just like Casemiro. Silva is a possession-oriented midfielder with a good shot from long-distance, but he needs to improve his defensive presence and work-rate to ever be considered as a member of Real Madrid's first-team.

Real Madrid probably included a clause on his loan deal to make sure that Silva gets the minutes he needs.