LUCAS PAQUETA
Lucas Paqueta has been a name on the lips of lots of fans throughout this transfer window... and for good reason. The Brazilian had yet another stellar season for Lyon, despite their own troubles, scoring 11 goals and providing 8 assists in all comps (9G and 6A in Ligue 1).
Shunted out of Milan after a big money move from Brazil early on in his career, the playmaker is bouncing back with a bang and showing that Brazilian magic on a more consistent basis. Let's break him down starting off with his playmaking.
playmaker
Now Paqueta had been suffering the same fate as Charles de Ketelaere (another who we have profiled - link below) being moved from position to position, mainly down to the fact he's good in so many of them. However, this season he's mainly played as a No.10, so let's look at him there.
Lyon switched formation a fair bit this season but some of their best performances came when playing a 4231, and Paqueta - playing as a 10 - was the heart of them.
Paqueta loves to drift, and he's very good at finding pockets of space (be it deeper or further up the pitch). He often tends toward the right half space zone highlighted and from here can do a few things
YELLOW: Play quick interchanges with his teams around him to beat the pressure or dribble his way around defenders in a tight area to create some space
BLUE: Slide in some killer in through balls to a forward going past the last man, the wingers making a run outside of him, or to the full backs joining the attack
WHITE: He has the uncanny ability to ghost into the box, and he often goes on to make a brilliantly timed run to receive a return pass or distract a defender.
It's also common to see Paqueta play a role in the build up phase as well, picking the ball of centre halves to circulate or play a line breaking pass.
Watching Paqueta, one thing becomes immediately obvious - the guy is silky smooth. He has a lovely change of direction, quick feet, vision, can manufacture a pass out of nothing, an outstanding appreciation of space and weights his passes to perfection. This shows up in his stats as well:
But what makes him even more special is the rough edge he has in his pressing game.
pressing machine
The 24 year old is possibly one of the best pressers in Europe. He is an absolute terrier without the ball, and has a ridiculous engine when it comes to his work out of possession. He has a phenomenal understanding of the game, and this shines though in how he presses.
Now what makes a good presser are a combination of things, there's the technical element i.e. curving runs to block passing lanes, the tactical element i.e. trigger points and these need to be combined with intelligence and intensity. Paqueta has all these attributes in abundance.
You'll often see Paqueta press the opposition and make a tackle from the blindside. He's consistently catching defenders off guard who think they may actually have a moments rest and nicking the ball - often in dangerous areas. He's not afraid to track back and put a shift in to fill the space, halt an attack or win the ball.
All you need to do is look at the stats:
Having this edge to his game combined with his playmaking brilliance - its obvious why fans of certain teams want him.
There are no glaring weaknesses to his game, but you'd want more output from him in terms of goals and assists, because the talent is clearly there. His finishing can be a bit wayward at times, so if he can develop a more ruthless streak in front of goal it could take him to the next level. He's already showing signs of improvement and I'd back him to reach that 'elite' category of double digit league goals and assists next season.
destination: unknown
Now it's possible he doesn't get a move this window, Lyon lost Bruno Guimaraes in January already and there's talk of Aouar possibly departing as well. But this man deserves European football, and if teams don't snap him up now - it's very likely the price will keep increasing. But, if he does move we had a few thoughts on teams that could/should be looking at him:
SPURS: Spurs have been linked with him and their fans are crying out for a creative playmaker. Lucas Paqueta most certainly fits the bill - he's got all the tools to fit into a Conte team and would definitely provide a cutting edge to that Spurs midfield. However, with the signing of Richarlison and the addition of Bissouma in midfield, it feels as if Spurs are committed to a 343. Conte seems to prefers a stable double pivot in the centre of the park in the PL (as evidenced by signing Bissouma), and the signing of Richarlison means they have five attackers for the front three positions - two of which are undroppable. That being said, watching Paqueta tee up Son and Kane would be special.
LIVERPOOL: The Reds have just gone and splashed the cash on Darwin Nunez so I wouldn't hold my breath on this one. But, there is an impending vacancy in that front line when it comes to Roberto Firmino. Nunez and Jota both operate at their best when they are running beyond defenders, attacking the box and working in the final third. Firmino is the one who offers that something a little different - dropping deep, connecting play and acting as a playmaker (on top of his pressing) - and Paqueta has all the tools to fill this position and make it his own. But after two big money forward buys in the last two transfer windows, it's probably unlikely.
There have also been links to PSG, Man City and Arsenal. Regardless, what's clear is that whether it's at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, Anfield or somewhere else in the Premier League, Lucas Paqueta is ready to take it by storm.