Liverpool set to come too soon for Spurs newboy Lucas

Lucas Moura’s big-club experience will be a vital asset to Tottenham according to Mauricio Pochettino, who concedes the Brazil forward is unlikely to make his Premier League debut against Liverpool this weekend.

Lucas completed an anticipated £25million switch to Spurs from Paris Saint-Germain on transfer deadline day.

The arrival of his compatriot and friend Neymar at the Parc des Princes this season left the 25-year-old struggling for first-team opportunities under Unai Emery but he now comes in to bolster Tottenham’s ambitions at home and abroad.

“For the club it was a good opportunity to add him because he can bring different qualities to the squad,” Pochettino told a news conference.

“He is an experienced player, with a lot of experience at a big club like Paris Saint-Germain.

“The previous season he scored a lot of goals. He is fast and can run forward and link the play perfectly.

“I think it is very helpful to have him. We hope his adaptation will be fast and quick and, of course, our expectation is for him to try and help the team as much as possible.”

Lucas was added to Spurs’ Champions League squad on Friday but having to get his affairs in order over in Paris has limited how much time he has been able to spend with his new team-mates up until this point.

Go behind the scenes with @LucasMoura7 during his first day as a Spurs player! #BemVindoLucas pic.twitter.com/hrPCbErNMR

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 1, 2018

“Today he is in Paris doing private things and we hope tomorrow he can stay here and start to work with the team,” Pochettino explained.

“Maybe he will try to work a little bit alone to reach the same level of the team.

“I don’t believe – I don’t want to say yes or no – but I don’t believe he will be able to be involved.”

Spurs romped to a 4-1 win over Jurgen Klopp’s side in October and Pochettino feels his team, who saw off Manchester United 2-0 in midweek, continue to show steady improvement.

“We’ve improved a lot since last season. The team is more mature, more experienced, we’re stronger in different aspects,” he explained.

“I’m comfortable with our evolution. We’re improving every season but still maybe not enough, to close the gap on Manchester City.

“It might be difficult to win the Premier League but we are still improving.”

Lucas’ former PSG team-mate Serge Aurier is back in training following a calf injury, while England midfielder Harry Winks has recovered from an ankle problem.