Liverpool's Lucas Leiva is hopeful that he will join Napoli, reuniting him with his former Reds manager Rafael Benitez.

The Independent on Sunday understands that there are a number of obstacles for the Italian side still to clear before the 27-year-old makes a move to Stadio San Paolo, but the player tweeted an enigmatic picture yesterday (sat) afternoon depicting light at the end of a tunnel – which appeared to suggested that he feels that Benitez will now offer him the new start he craves.

Napoli remain in communication with Manchester United about the possibility of securing Marouane Fellaini on loan. But with three weeks of the transfer window still to run and Fellaini’s £100,000-a-week United salary at a level Napoli could not meet in its entirety, Lucas seems the more likely signing for Benitez.

Lucas is certainly keen to move on now from Anfield, where Benitez signed him from Gremio in 2007 but where he only started 20 games in the 2014/14 and a mere five in this calendar year.

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