HCMC FC sign Brazilian defender from Portuguese club

The 26-year-old is completing procedures before flying to Vietnam on Friday. He is set to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City a day later and be in quarantine for 21 days. Later, Lucas will spend seven more days in self-quarantine at home.

At a height of 1.88 meters, Lucas is set to improve the defense of HCMC, especially in aerial duels. Earlier this season, HCMC head coach Manu Polking removed Senegalese defender Papé Diakite from the squad, weakening the club's defense and leading to disappointing results. HCMC are now 11th on the V. League table and their chance to get into the top six teams for the title race is slim.

Lucas will sign a 1.5-year contract with HCMC. In 2020, he played for Leixoes SC on loan from Portimonense and performed well in 26 games. He is valued at €275,000 ($335,000) on German football site Transfermakt.

In April, HCMC decided to part ways with the Brazilian forward trio Joao Paulo, Dário and Junior Barros. The club spent big to sign them before the 2021 season to strengthen their offensive power. However, after 10 league games, none lived up to expectations, with only two goals scored.

HCMC have used over 20 foreign players in their squad since 2018, in which only one could last over one season.