Spurs set to miss out on Paqueta

According to a Brazilian outlet, Tottenham look set to miss out on Lyon star Lucas Paqueta after making an approach to sign him this window.

The Lowdown: Midfield priority

Antonio Conte will now be on the lookout for his fifth addition of the summer having already secured the signatures of Perisic, Forster, Bissouma and Richarlison, and the midfield seems to be an area that he’s trying to target.

The 24-year-old first arrived in Ligue 1 when he joined the French giants from AC Milan back in 2020 and has been in superb form ever since, but despite receiving serious interest from the Premier League, it looks as though the maestro will be staying put in Lyon, much to the disappointment of his potential suitors.

The Latest: Spurs make contact with Paqueta

In a new article published by ESPN Brasil (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Tottenham, alongside Arsenal and Manchester City, have all ‘made contact’ with Paqueta in recent weeks, but regardless of the ‘strong approach’ from the English trio, it’s reported that talks ‘did not advance’.

The source states that it’s unclear just how much the Lilywhites were willing to pay for their target, but insist that he is ‘completely adapted’ in France, which is why he won’t force a transfer in the immediate future and is expected to link up with Lyon for the start of their pre-season preparations later this week.

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The Verdict: Blow for Conte

Hearing the news that Paqueta is likely to be continuing at Lyon will come as a huge blow to Conte, who will have been hoping to add someone like the Rio de Janeiro-born talent to his ranks to provide much-needed creativity and goals in the middle of the park.

Indeed, no Spurs central midfielder managed more than two goals or four assists in the Premier League last season (WhoScored).

Tottenham latest developments!

The 33-cap international, who was once hailed an ‘extraordinary’ player by his manager Peter Bosz, found the back of the net 11 times and provided seven assists across all competitions for Lyon last season, as per Transfermarkt.

He would have been the perfect candidate to walk into the Italian’s starting XI, with the likes of Kane and Son being able to benefit from his service, but Paqueta appears to have made his transfer stance pretty clear so Spurs will now have to turn their attention elsewhere.