English Premier League side Liverpool FC and Turkish Süper Lig powerhouse Galatasaray SK have reportedly reached a transfer agreement for Lucas Leiva on Saturday, as the defensive midfielder is on his way to Istanbul for his medical.
The 29-year-old Brazilian footballer has accepted a deal that will earn him about €2.7 million per year with the Yellow-Reds, but the official terms of his contract and transfer fee were not released yet as "Galatasaray could make an announcement soon," 90min reported.
Galatasaray head coach Jan Olde Riekerink had confirmed Lucas' signing in an interview before their preseason friendly match with Manchester United at the Nya Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden on Sunday, where United walloped the Lions, 5-2, during Zlatan Ibrahimović's debut as a Red Devil.
"Lucas is one of the players we are targeting. We have been in discussions and it is true we want an experienced midfielder," Olde Riekerink said.
Lucas is said to be keen on making an exit from the Anfield this summer after Red manager Jürgen Klopp did not assure him of any first-team time next season, with Liverpool's midfield already brimming with talent.
"There have been some changes last season, with the coaching change," said Lucas. "I still do not know exactly what will be my role within the group, but I am returning on Thursday to start the preseason."
"It's the first transfer window in which Klopp will participate more actively in Liverpool, so I will get a better idea when I return," he added.
Meanwhile, Caught Offside noted that Galatasaray had been searching for a new midfielder since last season when another Brazilian, Felipe Melo, left the squad to move to Inter Milan in August 2015.
The replacement never came and the Lions finished the Turkish top flight at sixth place last term, with the club vowing to improve on it in the coming season.
Lucas had just finished his ninth season with the Reds last May. He had appeared in a total of 313 games for the Anfield residents since 2007-2008 when he was acquired from Brazilian Serie A squad Grêmio, where he spent the first three years of his senior career, for a fee of £5 million.