Journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed he would not rule out Newcastle United making a move later in the transfer window for ‘expensive’ Lucas Paqueta from Lyon.
Paqueta has been hot on the lips of numerous Premier League clubs including Newcastle, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur this summer but with the asking price of around £55m, the player, who is desperate to leave, has failed to get his move so far.
However, while Newcastle has not made an official bid, Bailey believes the Magpies could look to make a swoop for the player late in the window if he is still available.
Bailey told the LOADED NUFC MAG transfer show, “I think Paqueta could be that number 10 option that we spoke about. Obviously, Newcastle has looked at him, they like him. He’s certainly a bit on the expensive side at the moment but do they look at him later in the window? Yes, I wouldn’t rule it out”. (56:21)
TIF Thoughts on Paqueta to Newcastle…
For Lyon, last season Paqueta mainly played in the attacking midfield position which is a position Newcastle need to invest in as, according to Tranfermarkt, they only currently have Joelinton and Miguel Almiron, with the latter linked for a move away but have failed to find a buyer as of yet.
The Brazilian midfielder would certainly be an upgrade on both the aforementioned player as last season he bagged 11 goals and seven assists for Lyon while ranking in the 94th percentile for progressive passes received and 87th for progressive passes.
He also showed this class don’t the defensive side of the ball by ranking in the 99th percentile for tackles, 96th for pressures, and 87th for aerial duels won compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues.
Spending £55m on a player is still a steep price even for Newcastle as they need to improve multiple positions, not just bring in one elite player and fill out the rest. However, if they can be patient and possibly wait for Paqueta to kick up a fuss about a move, they could get him for cheaper.