Everton are reportedly interested in signing Olympique Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who is also a top target for rivals Arsenal.
According to Calciomercato, Everton have joined Premier League rivals Arsenal in the race to sign Olympique Lyon attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Paqueta joined Lyon in 2020 after a sorry spell at AC Milan and has reinvigorated himself in France. The 24-year-old has been one of Lyon’s best players over the past couple of seasons, and enjoyed a particularly successful 2021/22 campaign during which he scored ten goals and set up seven more in 42 matches across all competitions.
However, Paqueta could be on his way out of the Groupama Stadium this summer after Lyon failed to qualify for European football, with the French giants open to a sale for the right amount. And Arsenal have shown the strongest interest in acquiring the services of the 24-year-old Brazilian international.
Arsenal have had a solid summer window so far during which they have made five signings in the form of Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchencko. With Martin Odegaard already at the club and Vieira arriving, the attacking midfield area has plenty of quality already.
However, Mikel Arteta and Edu are keen on adding another midfielder who can be a source of goals to their ranks. And Paqueta has emerged as a target due to his ability to slot in several positions in the final third and the middle third of the pitch. Indeed, the 24-year-old played as a false nine and even on the right flank for Lyon last season, while he can also operate as a No. 8.
Such versatility can offer Arteta a lot of flexibility with regard to his team selection and tactical setup, which is why Arsenal are interested in Paqueta. However, they are now set to face competition from Premier League rivals Everton, who have also registered their interest in signing the Lyon midfielder.
Everton are ramping up their transfer activity of late after a quiet start to the window. The Toffees have brought in James Tarkowski and Ruben Vinagre and have reached a full agreement to sign Dwight McNeil from Burnley. But, more quality is needed in the squad if manager Frank Lampard can pull them into the top half of the table after a disastrous 2021/22 campaign.
A player like Paqueta, who can offer goals and creativity from the attacking midfield area, would be a handy signing for Everton, especially considering that Dele Alli has been woeful since his arrival and could soon be shipped off.
But, whether the Brazilian would be keen on joining a team who just about managed to avoid relegation would be the big question, especially considering that Arsenal would be able to offer him Europa League football and a chance to play with his Brazil teammates in Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus. It remains to be seen what Paqueta decides as a crucial period beckons the 24-year-old.
