Arsenal's ongoing hunt for a midfielder has seen a host of names linked with the Gunners this summer, and the latest player Mikel Arteta is reportedly interested in is Lyon's Lucas Paqueta.
That's according to French Outlet Media Foot, reporting that Arsenal are 'pushing hard' to beat Newcastle United for Paqueta's signature. The Magpies have shown strong interest in the Brazilian this summer, with Lyon valuing their star midfielder at around £58 million.
The Gunners have been busy in the transfer market already ahead of next season, with four new faces joining Arsenal's squad including Gabriel Jesus and midfielder Fabio Viera - the latter signed from FC Porto for £34m including add-ons. Arteta is expected to try and sign at least one new midfielder ahead of next season, with Leicester City's Youri Tielemans also heavily linked.
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So, if the Lyon midfielder was to make the switch to Arsenal in the summer, what sort of impact could he have on Arteta's side? Could he help the club qualify for the Champions League and potentially win a trophy?
We simulated the 2022/23 season with Lucas Paqueta in the Arsenal squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Lucas Paqueta for Arsenal next season
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for the Brazilian international to join Arteta's side at the start of the summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. Along with Paqueta, new signings Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Viera, Matt Turner and Marquinhos were also in the squad.
Paqueta became a regular in the Gunners starting XI and played the majority of games in all competitions. Over the course of his first season in red, Paqueta proved himself to be one of the most important squad members, making 52 appearances.
Only one of those came from the bench, with the Brazilian playing 37 of Arsenal's 38 league fixtures. Overall, he averaged a rating of 7.15 in all competitions, grabbing eight goals and 11 assists along the way.
Paqueta had a pass completion rate of 88% in all competitions which was the second-highest in the Arsenal squad - only Martin Odegaard had higher (90%). When compared to the rest of his teammates, The 24-year-old made the joint-most starts with Aaron Ramsdale and also registered the second-most assists.
Bukayo Saka topped the assist chart with 12 compared to Paqueta's 11, and Jesus ended the season as the clubs top scorer with 24 goals. Paqueta won the player of the match award twice in the season.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Gunners' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Arsenal best XI: (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Paqueta; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
With Paqueta more of a box-to-box midfielder than defensive, Arteta used a 4-3-3 formation to fit the Brazilian into his system to the best of his ability. The 24-year-old was partnered alongside Martin Odegaard with Thomas Partey sitting behind them in the midfield triangle.
Jesus started in the forward three along with Gabriel Martinelli and Saka, whilst Ben White partnered Gabriel in the centre of defence as William Saliba settled for a rotating spot in the squad. Emile Smith-Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Granit Xhaka all missed out on the best XI. So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Lucas Paqueta in the summer transfer window? Let's take a look.
Arsenal's results from the 2022-23 simulation:
Arsenal finished in the top four in the Premier League with Paqueta in the squad, earning themselves a Champions League spot for the upcoming season. In total, Arteta's side earned 73 points, four more points than the previous season.
Man City won the league with 89 points whilst Liverpool and Chelsea were separated by a point in second and third. The addition of Paqueta not only added quality to the side but depth - allowing the Gunners to rotate their squad in cup competitions and challenge for multiple trophies.
Arsenal's managed to win two trophies in the simulated 2022/23 season on Football Manager, dominating the domestic competitions as they won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Eddie Nketiah played the majority of his games in the Gunners' cup runs, and he scored the only goal as Arteta's side beat Man United 1-0 in the FA Cup final.
Championship side Burnley had a fantastic run to reach the final of the Carabao Cup, but Arsenal's quality proved too much for the Clarets as the Gunners won 4-0 in the final. Their Europa League campaign was nowhere near as good though, with Arteta's side knocked out in the last 16, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Porto.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Lucas Paqueta ahead of the 2022/23 season, the Brazilian could be a hit in the Gunners' midfield and help Arteta's side to a top-four finish and two trophies. A change in formation by Arteta saw his midfield become one of the most dominant in England, potentially showing the transition to a midfield three if Paqueta was to sign could suit Arsenal perfectly.
Would you like to see Lucas Paqueta sign for Arsenal this summer? Let us know in the comments!
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