Newcastle United could be looking to trump Arsenal for a second time this year if they push on to sign Bruno Guimaraes' big pal Lucas Paqueta.
For some time the talk on the French football circuit has been that Paris Saint-Germain were keen to sign the 24-year-old attacking midfielder but now they don't seem so keen. From a Newcastle point of view he would be the dream team-mate for Bruno with the pair linking up well for club and country.
It is understood that there is a £58million asking price for Paqueta while wages could come in at £180,000 per week. But with PSG now believed to feel the overall package is too much it could be down to a foot race for Paqueta between Newcastle and Arsenal.
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Of course, United caught the Gunners napping in January when they quickly moved for Bruno when learning that Lyon could be interested in an earlier than an expected sale. The minute Newcastle's ambitious owners discovered Bruno was for sale they matched the Ligue 1 club's asking price.
Bearing in mind that Lyon aren't always easy sellers - as Newcastle found out when they tried to sign Clement Grenier under previous ownership - the transaction was a pleasant surprise for Geordie fans. Or was it simply a case of now having custodians that are prepared to go the extra mile to bring in top talent?
Either way, the lesson is there for Newcastle, that Lyon do indeed have a tipping point. And that could be the case with Paqueta again this summer.
Paqueta doesn't need to be told what life at Newcastle could be like. After all, he decided to carry out his own scouting mission during the 2-1 win at Southampton on the night Bruno back-heeled his way into Geordie folklore with a wonder goal.
Given that Bruno has already spoken about the "project" overall at Newcastle and said: "From now on, it's a team to compete for to be champions of the Premier League." Paqueta will be fully in the loop on the plans moving forward.
It's a player that head of recruitment Steve Nickson knows very well too, having watched him on multiple occasions, meaning it could be Arsenal v Newcastle round two in the summer transfer window for another top Brazilian talent.
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