Newcastle are set to be a force to be reckoned with in the summer transfer window after the change of ownership midway through the season. It is due to this that Arsenal could be one of the clubs that fall victim of the financial dominance of the Magpies.
According to the Times, Newcastle are lining up a €60million (£50m) for Lucas Paqueta ahead of next season. The player has reportedly already announced his desire to leave Lyon at the end of the season.
This news come after Italian news outlet Calciomercato reported that the Gunners were interested in signing the Lyon midfielder. Paris Saint-Germain were also said to be keen on acquiring the Brazilian ahead of next season.
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According to Goal, Paqueta is considering leaving Lyon this summer. His representatives will travel to Europe in the coming days to listen to many proposals with the aim of taking the next step in the Brazilian’s career.
The Gunners have previously been linked to Paqueta this season. And with him now reportedly being available for a move, it is a deal that Edu could look to get over the line.
However, Newcastle continue to show their threat towards Arsenal in the transfer market ahead of next season. The Magpies have an excellent opportunity of stamping their marker in the summer window by signing Paqueta at the expense of Arsenal.
Eddie Howe added Bruno Guimaraes to his team in the January transfer window, despite Arsenal also reportedly being interested in the midfielder. That decision caused unrest amongst the Gunners' fanbase.
Arsenal failed to sign a midfielder in the last winter window, which made losing out on Guimaraes feel even worse for fans of the north London side. He certainly would have improved Mikel Arteta’s midfield, who will be set to suffer from a lack of depth in the summer due to a number of departures in this position.
The same situation cannot be afforded with Paqueta. Mikel Arteta has had problems with the midfield this season due to the lack of quality in squad depth, and that has hindered the club’s progress at times. If the Spaniard opts for three players in the centre of midfield then Paqueta would be an excellent option to have on the left-hand side for the future.
Paqueta joined the Ligue 1 side from AC Milan ahead of the 2019/2020 season and has since then gone on to make 64 appearances, scoring 18 goals while providing 11 assists in the process. Arsenal certainly needs to add to their midfield firepower, and Paqueta would certainly be a good signing if he is available and there is an extra incentive to beat Newcastle to his signature after they stole Guimaraes in January.
Paqueta would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s squad and would add to the strong Brazilian contingent that is already at his disposal. Edu should certainly come through with a strong proposal for Paqueta on why he should make the switch to Arsenal instead of Newcastle.
