Premier League clubs Arsenal and Newcastle United have reportedly been told to pay €65 million for Lyon playmaker Lucas Paqueta.
According to transfer expert Ben Jacobs, Lyon have set a €65 million price tag for Lucas Paqueta, owing to a high level of interest from English clubs, namely Arsenal and Newcastle United, in the Brazilian international following a stellar season in Ligue 1 last term.
Paqueta, who joined the French club from AC Milan in a €20 million deal back in 2020, enjoyed an extremely productive 2021/22 campaign with Lyon, netting 11 goals and providing eight assists across all competitions, earning him a lot of plaudits for his career revival after a forgettable stint in Milan.
To date, he has scored 21 goals and provided 13 assists in 77 games for Les Gones. However, with Lyon finishing in eighth place, the 24-year-old Brazilian has been linked with a summer exit. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed the Ligue 1 club have received offers for Paqueta, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League amid interest from Newcastle and Arsenal.
The biggest sticking point for the two English clubs could be the hefty price tag. Aulas had reportedly been after a fee of around €80 million for Paqueta back in January, but with the player now keen on moving away, the asking price would not be as high this time around, with the Lyon president demanding €65 million for his prized asset.
Newcastle have been heavily linked with a summer swoop for Paqueta since signing his former teammate and close friend Bruno Guimaraes six months ago during the January transfer window. The Brazilian duo formed a wonderful friendship on and off the pitch at Lyon, which has left Newcastle supporters drooling over the prospect of seeing him and Guimaraes link up together at St. James’ Park.
However, given Newcastle’s existing depth in central midfield, particularly after Joelinton dropped into the middle of the park and produced stellar performances last season, signing Paqueta is not the priority for Newcastle unless they want to make a statement in the transfer market.
Paqueta is a quality operator and will offer versatility to play as a right-winger, deep-lying midfielder or even as a false nine. But he does not exactly fit the description, with Newcastle in dire need of a defensive midfielder due to the departure of Isaac Hayden, who was the only defensive-minded midfielder in their ranks last term.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are hopeful of hijacking the deal and are pushing hard to convince Paqueta to come to the Emirates. The north Londoners have been linked with many midfielders this summer, Youri Tielemans regarded as their primary target. The Belgian playmaker would be a far cheaper alternative to Paqueta after entering the final year of his contract.
Furthermore, the Gunners already have enough creativity from advanced midfield areas in their ranks with Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, and Fabio Vieira. So bringing in a player of a similar mould in Paqueta for a hefty fee would be luxury depth than a necessity for Arsenal.