Lucas Moura says he has been surprised by Tottenham’s tough training regime and the pace of the Premier League but is looking forward to the 2018-19 campaign.
The Brazilian winger joined Spurs from Paris Saint-Germain in January for a reported fee of £25 million after struggling for first-team football in the French capital during the first half of the season.
Despite scoring on his full debut against Rochdale in the FA Cup, Moura struggled to break into the team for Premier League games.
But the 25-year-old finally looked settled on the final day of the season against Leicester City, playing a part in multiple goals as Tottenham secured a 5-4 victory at Wembley.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Moura summarised his first half-season in north London.
“It’s been a very good season for the team and, for me, five months of adaptation,” he said.
“Everything is new for me and I am so happy because it’s a very big club, the structure is fantastic and my team-mates are so good. I’m really happy to be here and looking forward to next season.
“This is the best league in the world with a lot of big clubs and it’s so exciting. It’s different from Brazil or France and for me it’s a dream to play here.
“I think I can improve my game a lot here. The physical side is very different to Brazil and the pace of the game is very different to France.
“You don’t have so much time to think so I need to decide what I will do with the ball in one second and that’s good for me.
“I have learned from training with my team-mates and I enjoy playing with them. The training here is so hard, we work a lot, and it’s so dynamic.
“When I have the ball, the defenders come and try to take the ball quickly so I need to improve my game and learn about this kind of football.”
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly keen to recruit another attacker this summer – Anthony Martial and Wilfried Zaha have both been heavily linked.
While signing more wide players will make things more difficult for Moura to break into the team, it could also drive him to improve even more in a bid to cement his place in the side.
