Premier League outfit Newcastle United sent scouts to watch Lucas Paqueta, Tete, Ludovic Blas and Moses Simon during Lyon’s final day Ligue 1 clash with Nantes last weekend, as reported by But Football Club.
Graham Carr would be proud.
With Newcastle planning to spend big in the off-season – their first summer under Saudi Arabian ownership – it seems that the newly-minted Magpies are taking inspiration from Bruno Guimaraes’ remarkable impact at St James’ Park.
Paqueta, another Brazil international and a close friend of Bruno, will perhaps be the most difficult of the three to secure.
Per Le10 Sport, Newcastle failed with a £34 million bid for the balletic playmaker in January, despite showing a willingness to make Paqueta their best-paid player on £180,000-a-week.
“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,” says Lyon team-mate Jerome Boeteng.
“And I think he has the potential to be really a world star in football.”
Newcastle want Lucas Paqueta and three over Ligue 1 stars
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas thinks so too. When asked how much he would consider selling the former AC Milan youngster for, Aulas indicated that it would take a bid in excess of £67 million.
Tete, Blas and Simon are not quite so expensive.
Tete, who scored a late winner in front of Newcastle scouts during a dramatic 3-2 victory over Nantes on Sunday, is on loan at Lyon from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk.
The livewire wideman recently held talks with Southampton and is also a target for West Ham.
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Nantes duo Blas and Simon, meanwhile, are expected to leave after firing The Canaries to Coupe de France glory. Nantes’ first piece of silverware in 20 years.
Blas has 14 goals this term from attacking midfield. Nigerian Simon, meanwhile, is an exciting, unpredictable winger in the mould of Allan Saint-Maximin.
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