Manchester City and Tottenham are reportedly vying for Lucas Paqueta, with the Brazilian midfielder keen on leaving Lyon this summer.
According to L’Equipe, Manchester City and Tottenham lead the race to sign Lucas Paqueta, with the Brazilian midfielder reportedly uninterested in joining Newcastle United or Arsenal. Paqueta is keen on leaving Lyon this summer after the club failed to qualify for any European competition.
Lucas Paqueta has emerged as one of the top targets for Premier League outfits , with as many as four clubs vying for his signature. After a fantastic season with Lyon, the Brazilian international is one of the prized assets for Jean-Michel Aulas in the ongoing transfer window despite their collective struggles.
The Lyon president left the decision in the Brazilian’s hands, considering he was made the centerpiece of Peter Bosz’s project, and Paqueta has decided to depart from the Groupama Stadium. He is eager to continue playing in European competitions, which Lyon cannot offer in the upcoming season.
Arsenal and Newcastle United have been interested in him, with Aulas quoting them around €65 million. The Lyon supremo has wanted a record-breaking sale to materialise, but the quoted price is unattainable for any interested party.
Arsenal were confident of signing the Brazilian international, but the report suggests Paqueta is uninterested in joining the north Londoners or Newcastle United. Recent reports claimed Lyon slashed the asking price for Paqueta, who could be available for €40 million. Manchester City and Tottenham are the latest front-runners for his signature, although a move will depend upon sales first.
Manchester City have reportedly held advanced talks with Lyon for Paqueta, although they may have to offload Bernardo Silva before thinking about signing the Brazilian. It complicates matters, but anything is possible in the transfer window.
Tottenham are in a similar dilemma, as Antonio Conte is interested in securing the services of Paqueta. However, there are plenty of midfielders at Spurs who need to be sold before they can purchase another player in the position.
Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, and Harry Winks are some unwanted names at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A move for Paqueta could be essential if Spurs can shift out those names, although at this stage, north London rivals Arsenal are still in the race to sign the Brazilian.
Whether the report about Paqueta being uninterested in joining Arsenal is accurate remains to be seen. However, the Gunners are actively considering signing the Lyon man. They have targets such as Youri Tielemans and Arthur Melo on their list, but Paqueta could better suit Mikel Arteta’s style.
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As things stand, L’Equipe are the only publication so far to make a claim about Manchester City, Tottenham, and Arsenal with regards to Paqueta. However, there could always be a twist in the tale, as the Brazilian international seems destined to depart Lyon in this window.