Report: Newcastle now ready to smash their transfer record to sign £50m ‘world star’, he’s already been to SJP

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According to The Times, Newcastle are now ready to break their transfer record to sign Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Eddie Howe has well and truly transformed the Magpies. They seemed destined for relegation when he took charge of the club, but he changed everything and led them to an 11th place finish in the Premier League.

That is an extraordinary achievement, and it looks like the only direction Newcastle are going now under Howe and their new owners is up.

Many Magpies fans are dreaming of European football in the not too distant future. For that to happen, they need top-quality players, and it looks like they’ve found one.

Newcastle ready to break transfer record to sign Lucas Paqueta

Newcastle signed Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon in the January transfer window. That has proved to be a phenomenal bit of business by Howe and co, and it now looks like they’re set to go back to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France to sign another player from the same club.

Paqueta has long been linked with a move to St James’ Park. He’s good pals with Guimaraes and has even attended a few games at Newcastle’s home ground to watch his compatriot in action.

The Toon tried to sign Paqueta in January but their bid then was reportedly rejected. That hasn’t made them look elsewhere; they are still keen to sign the talented Brazilian.

The report claims that PIF are ready to sanction a move for Paqueta and are even willing to break Newcastle’s transfer record to sign him. Howe has apparently named the Lyon man as one of his top targets, and a move could well happen this summer.

World star

Paqueta was fantastic for Lyon in the recently-concluded campaign. He scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in all competitions, which is a very good record for an attacking midfielder.

His performances have been so good for Lyon that his teammate, Jerome Boateng, lavished praise on him not too long ago.

The German World Cup winner said, as quoted by HITC: “He brings so much to our team. He runs a lot, his skills, his technique, his (ability to) create chances, his passing, his (determination to) fight for the ball.

“I think he has the potential to be really a world star in football.”