Real Madrid’s chief scout Juni Calafat is reportedly keeping a keen eye on the progress of 23-year-old Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
According to an exclusive report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Lucas Paqueta seems to still be very much in the orbit of Real Madrid heading into the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old Brazilian midfielder is being eyed by Los Blancos’ chief scout Juni Calafat.
Lucas Paqueta has resurrected a stuttering career since joining Lyon from AC Milan last summer. The 23-year-old took little time to establish himself as a mainstay in midfield for Les Gones, racking up 34 appearances across all competitions, with a superb tally of 10 goals and six assists to show for his efforts.
In fact, the Brazilian international only missed three games for Lyon when available while also being hailed as one of the best midfielders in Ligue 1 this past season. His progress has not gone unnoticed either, with Real Madrid chief scout Juni Calafat having his sights set on him firmly.
Real Madrid are likely to enter the market for a central midfielder in the summer transfer window, and for good reason. The Merengues, for years now, have been sorted in the midfield department due to the brilliance of the first-choice trio of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
However, Modric is well into the twilight of his career and will be 36 by the time the 2021/22 season begins taking shape. Kroos, on the other hand, is on the wrong side of 30 and will need to start being phased out in a couple of years or so. Therefore, despite the presence of Federico Valverde, it is imperative that Real Madrid reinforce their midfield, which is why they have been linked with Florian Neuhaus.
Los Blancos have also been linked with Flamengo midfielder Gerson, with another Brazilian star in Lucas Paqueta now emerging on their radar. If recommended for a transfer, Paqueta will come with the Juni Calafat seal of approval. The Real Madrid chief scout is responsible for the transfers of Fede Valverde, Martin Odegaard, and Marco Asensio.
For now, it looks like Lucas Paqueta is the latest midfielder to have popped up into the orbit of Real Madrid this summer and it remains to be seen if the Spanish heavyweights end up making a move for the 23-year-old ahead of the 2021/22 season.
