Arsenal could go head-to-head with Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign Lyon playmaker Lucas Paqueta this summer, Calciomercato reports.
The Brazil international is currently in his second season at Lyon where he has impressed with eight goals and five assists from 30 appearances.
His form has caught the eye of several clubs, and it is now reported that the Gunners and Les Parisiens are interested in signing him.
Paqueta started his Lyon career last season as a central midfielder, but he has played as an attacking midfielder, right-winger or as a striker this term.
The 24-year-old is generally an attacking player by nature, and this could be something that may have grabbed the attention of manager Mikel Arteta.
Over the past few games, the Spaniard has experimented with Granit Xhaka playing in a more advanced central midfield role alongside Martin Odegaard.
While the Swiss has been fluent with his distribution, he has not provided the creativity, considering he is a holding midfielder by trade.
Paqueta could be an ideal player alongside Odegaard. The Brazilian is good going forward but is also solid defensively with 1.8 tackles per game this term.
It remains to be seen whether the Gunners can prise him away, considering Lyon are shrewd negotiators and often reluctant to lower their transfer valuation.
With a contract until June 2025, Paqueta won’t be available on the cheap. Lyon turned down a €40 million bid from Newcastle United during the winter transfer window.
The Magpies were willing to pay more, but both the club and the player had no plans of parting ways.
With the current interest from Les Parisiens, the Gunners may need to qualify for the Champions League to boost their chances of signing the former AC Milan star.
The club are currently fourth in the standings, one point ahead of Manchester United with three games in hand. They still have plenty of work to do to achieve their aim.
