Arsenal could be the favourites to sign Lyon and Brazil midfielder Lucas Paquetá if he leaves the Ligue 1 club this summer, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.
The 24-year-old joined Lyon in 2020, but has been linked with moves away from the club this summer, with Mikel Arteta’s side understood to be one of the interested parties.
GiveMeSport Transfer Update
What’s the latest on Paquetá?
According to Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports, the Gunners are interested in Paquetá, but no bid has been made to Lyon as of yet.
The French club are thought to want around £55m for the Brazilian star, with the thread of tweets also going on to suggest that Newcastle United are also interested in the midfielder, though it is stated that they have not made a bid either.
Jacobs also states the Gunners still retain an interest in Leicester City and Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans, despite their current interest in Paquetá.
And Crook believes that whilst there is still talk in the £60m-rated man’s native South America about a move to Arsenal, “it is still a fairly big if” regarding Paquetá leaving Lyon.
What has Crook said about Paquetá?
He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think speaking to people in South America they [Arsenal] are the favourites for Paquetá if he leaves, which I think is still a fairly big if.
“I think he's higher up on their list of targets than Milinković-Savić.”
Would Paquetá be a good signing for Arsenal?
With Arteta wanting to improve on last season’s fifth-placed Premier League finish, it seems as though Paquetá would be a smart addition at the Emirates Stadium, and could potentially be the midfielder that pushes the north London side into the Champions League for the 2023/24 season.
The 33-time Brazil international made 44 appearances for Lyon last season, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists, according to Transfermarkt.
Paquetá’s stats for the last campaign are incredibly impressive, with the Lyon star ranking in the top 3% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues and European competition for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes (0.28) according to FBref.
He is also a proficient dribbler of the ball, ranking in the top 1% of midfielders for dribbles completed per 90 minutes (2.42) according to the same stats provider.
And a SofaScore rating of 7.13 for his Ligue 1 performances last season shows that the Brazilian is consistently excellent when called upon by his manager.
Though £55m is a lot of money for an unproven Premier League midfielder, Paquetá could just be the tonic that Arsenal need to fire themselves into the Champions League places this season.