Newcastle United took talented young midfielder Bruno Guimaraes off of Lyon’s hands during the Winter transfer window and now they have their eyes set on one of his compatriots from the same club. According to The Times, former AC Milan attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta has emerged as a key target for Eddie Howe’s Magpies.
The 24-year-old who holds a strong bond with Guimaraes could cost Newcastle as much as £50 million. If a deal were to be completed which saw Paqueta make a switch to England’s north, it would likely result in the Saudi owned club breaking their transfer record. Newcastle’s previous record signing was fellow Brazillian, Joelinton, who joined the club from Hoffenheim in 2019 for £40 million.
With the aforementioned Joelinton now playing his best football for the St James’ Park side as a left-sided box to box midfielder, the signing of Paqueta would see Eddie Howe create an all Brazillian midfield. Guimaraes would sit at the base of a 3-man midfield with his compatriots either side of him.
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Whether Lyon would be willing to part ways with Paqueta is a significant factor in Newcastle’s pursuit. It is believed the French club are currently listening to offers for fellow midfielder Houssem Aouar, available on the market for as little as £13 million, so the club currently managed by Peter Bosz may favour keeping hold of Paqueta for the time being.
Amid their pursuit of Paqueta, Newcastle continue their search for a new left-back following the expiration of Matt Targett’s loan spell at St. James’ Park. Yet another Brazillian, Atletico Madrid’s Renan Lodi, is reportedly a key target. Links with West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen have also tentatively emerged in the media in recent weeks.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Newcastle United, Transfers