Tottenham Hotspur are interested in moving for long-time Newcastle United target Lucas Paqueta this summer, according to reports. The Lyon midfielder has been on the radar at St James’ Park for some time and the club tried to sort a deal in January, and now Football.London have reported that Spurs may look to swoop in for the Brazilian to add to their attacking firepower.
Paqueta racked up nine goals and six assists in 35 Ligue 1 appearances for his club last season, impressing further on the European stage with two goals and two assists in nine Europa League games. He is reportedly wanting a move away from the French club but their president, Jean-Michel Aulas, quoted a fee of €80 million (£68 million) in January and isn't expected to budge.
The Magpies have done recent business with Aulas, however, signing Bruno Guimaraes in January for around £40 million - a potential advantage that could soften the Ligue 1 giant’s stance on negotiations. That deal could also give Newcastle the advantage personally, with Paqueta potentially favouring a reunion with an old teammate and a glowing endorsement from Guimaraes himself.
But reports in the capital suggest the allure of Champions League football could give Spurs an advantage over their Premier League rivals. Newcastle have lofty ambitions to be competing with Antonio Conte’s side in the near future but they are still a mid-table side - no matter how much money they have.
Whether the Magpies would be willing to blow such a large chunk of their transfer budget on a non-priority position remains to be seen, and that hesitation could give Spurs the chance to steal should they desire. It should be said that Spurs haven’t set their sights purely on the Brazilian, with his name just one of a few names mentioned by Football.london.
Dan Ashworth, Newcastle’s new sporting director, will also have more pressing concerns over reinforcements at the back and up top. He and the Newcastle hierarchy are in the market for at least one top centre-back, but could do with two, while a top-level goalscorer is also high up on the list of priorities.
The club have reportedly made a third offer for Lille centre-back Sven Botman - who has attracted interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea - while a £30 million deal for Reims forward Hugo Ekitike has hit a bump in the road after the 19-year-old was injured while on international duty with France under-20s.
