Tottenham are thought to be ahead of Newcastle in the pursuit for Lucas Paqueta, who has been valued at €60 million (£51m) by Lyon, according to L’Equipe.
Paqueta has emerged on Spurs’ list of targets, who Newcastle allegedly attempted to sign during the January transfer window (Football.London).
The versatile 24-year-old had a strong campaign in Ligue 1 with 11 goals and seven assists (Transfermarkt) as Lyon finished the season in 10th place in the table.
And with the French side missing out on European football altogether, L’Equipe has revealed Paqueta wants to leave the club this summer after just two seasons.
The report adds that Lyon are demanding upwards of £51 million to sanction a transfer for Paqueta, who has reiterated his desire to face the best players on the European stage.
As such, the latest development could hand Spurs the advantage over Newcastle having secured their place in next season’s Champions League, while the Magpies are set to embark on a 10th consecutive campaign without European football.
Spurs Web Opinion
The fee for Paqueta is pretty big, but that is the going rate for players around his age that have a decent amount of time remaining on their contract.
The lure of Champions League football should help Spurs massively this summer, though, and if the report is to be believed, then it could be the start of plenty of solid names being linked to the club.
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