da cassino： Newcastle United are reportedly set to make a move for Lyon playmaker Lucas Paqueta, according to reports.
What’s the word?
da dobrowin： As per The Times, the Brazilian midfielder has ’emerged as a major target’ for the Premier League outfit, with the club seemingly ready to surpass their existing transfer record with a £50m bid in order to prise him from France – albeit with previous reports suggesting he could cost as much as £58m.
The Magpies’ previous record deal came just a few months ago as they moved for the 24-year-old’s compatriot and former club colleague Bruno Guimaraes, the latter man having joined for a fee that could rise to £43m during the winter window.
The report suggests that despite investing heavily in January – with a reported spend of around £90m to help steer the club away from danger – PIF are ready to back manager Eddie Howe once again this summer, with a move for Paqueta no doubt a sign of that support.
Unique talent
Having already made a statement of intent with the addition of Guimaraes – after reportedly fending off Arsenal in the race for his signature – managing to secure his ex-teammate and friend would be a further marquee acquisition, as the northeast side look to transform into top-six contenders next term.
In Paqueta, Howe and co have seemingly identified a real unique talent, with the former AC Milan gem having thrived in Ligue 1 after a difficult stint at the San Siro.
As former Lyon boss Rudi Garcia stated, there are simply “very few like him” such is the £31.5m-rated man’s talent in the final third, while Italian icon Paolo Maldini praised his “huge impact” during his early days with the Rossoneri, despite largely failing to make the grade in Serie A.
The most recent campaign proved particularly fruitful for the £49k-per-week star – who joined his current side on a €20m (£17m) deal back in October 2020 – as he contributed 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions, while also averaging an impressive 1.2 key passes per game in 35 outings in the French top-flight.
Not just the man to unlock defences, however, the 31-cap international also puts quite a shift in defensively, ranking in the top 1% for tackles, the top 4% for pressures made and the top 13% for aerial duels won in comparison to his peers across Europe’s big five leagues.
His dynamic attacking style and his wand of a left boot have also sparked notable comparisons with Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech, as per FBref, with the duo sharing a number of statistical and stylistic similarities.
The Morocco international has somewhat struggled at Stamford Bridge since joining from Ajax two years ago, although it is fair to say he has rarely been handed a consistent run of games under Thomas Tuchel, such is the depth of quality at the German’s disposal.
At St James’ Park, however, Paqueta is unlikely to share a similar fate, with Howe and co set to give the rare gem the platform to impress.
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