Lucas Lima looks set to snub Real Madrid and Chelsea and stay in Brazil until 2017 due to bizarre ownership rights
Agent Wagner Ribeiro admits midfielder's club only own 10 per cent of his rights and want him to see out his contract instead
REAL MADRID target and Chelsea-linked star Lucas Lima will not be on the move this summer, according to his agent.
The Santos star had been tipped for a big-money switch to Europe after impressing in Brazil yet again.
Reports in Spain claimed Lima was at the top of Zinedine Zidane’s summer wish-list alongside teammate Gabriel Barbosa, with the Real boss scouting the midfielder numerous times since the turn of the year.
And Lima himself has previously talked up a possible new challenge abroad, mentioning Antonio Conte’s Chelsea as one of the teams he’d consider joining.
The 25-year-old said: “I don’t want to leave for any club. I want to play for a big team from Europe.
“There are many... Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Chelsea.”
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But Lima now looks set to remain at Santos until his contract expires in December 2017 due to ownership rights.
Lima is a Doyen Sports player and Santos technically own just 10 per cent of his rights – meaning they stand to make virtually nothing from a potential transfer.
However, the club would be forced to sell if Lima’s £40million release clause is met, but following a disappointing Copa America campaign with Brazil, it seems unlikely that any club would match that figure right now.
And agent Wagner Ribeiro believes the situation makes a Santos stay the most likely option, telling Lance!: “Santos have no interest in selling him because they own just 10 per cent of his rights.
“If they receive an offer of €20m, they would get just €2m. With that, you can’t even purchase a leg of Lucas Lima.
“The tendency is that he will stay until the end of the contract.”