Paqueta, 25, has signed up until 2027 with the London club, which will pay out 61.630 million euros, including 18.680 million euros in bonuses.

An amount in line with the claims of the Rhone club which again favored the economic interest.

Three months before the World Cup, Paquetà (33 caps, 7 goals), who seems to be installed as a potential holder of the Seleçao, takes no risk in leaving Olympique Lyonnais for a club fighting for the top of the table in Premier league.

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As with Guimaraes in January, all parties are winners at least financially.

- An exceptional player -

"Paquetà is an exceptional player. He is Brazil's N.10, capable of winning clubs. We have more chances with him that OL will be in their objectives", Bruno Cheyrou said on August 10. on OL Play, the Rhone club's internet platform.

At the time, the Lyon leaders, who had already opened the door to a departure and planned to sell him this summer three years from the end of his contract, had not received an offer, but they suspected that the end of the transfer window would be lively for their N.10.

He arrived in Lyon on September 30, 2020 from AC Milan for compensation of 20 million euros.

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The Lombard club had acquired him on his side in January 2019 for 35 M EUR for a three and a half year contract while he was at Flamengo.

However, after a good first half-season in Serie A and several coaching changes, his performance had dropped significantly, and Lyon took the opportunity to recruit him.

The intervention of Juninho, then sporting director of OL but resigning last December, had been decisive.

In Lyon, the Brazilian player played 81 matches for 21 goals (including 9 last season) and has therefore recovered well after a mixed start in Europe to join an English league he has always dreamed of.

The departure of Paquetà remains a loss for the Lyon workforce but he should not be replaced position for position.

Because, deprived of the European Cup this season, Lyon has only one match a week to play.

The group is still far too large in quantity but remains of a good level, especially offensively.

A defender to recruit

A single recruit should compensate for any future departures to come: a defender, side, a priori, in order to double the right-back position occupied by the only and inexperienced, Malo Gusto.

However, if necessary, OL do not rule out being active in the winter transfer window which could be busier than the summer one.

Especially since the official acquisition at the end of September of nearly 90% of the club's shares will have been recorded by the American John Textor who must also carry out a capital increase of EUR 86 million, a part of which is intended for recruitment.

So far, only defender Léo Dubois has been transferred for 2.5 M EUR to Galatasaray (Turkey), while Zimbabwean striker Tino Kadewere was loaned for a season on Monday to Spanish club Mallorca.

In the midfield, Lyon can hope to count on the return to form of Jeff Reine-Adelaïde - long injured since his recruitment in 2019 for 25 M EUR but very prominent during the preparation - on Corentin Tolisso, back at the club, and Maxence Caqueret which has been extended and upgraded.

Added to this are the promises of young Johan Lepenant, recruited this summer in Caen for 4.5 M EUR.

And Houssem Aouar has not yet left even though he has wanted to be transferred for two years without having received the offers he was hoping for.

Knowing that we must also make room for young people from the Academy like Mohamed El Arouch (19 years old).

In defense and attack, other players can leave to lighten the group and especially the payroll, such as central backs Jérôme Boateng and Damien Da Silva or even Moussa Dembélé (17 goals last season) who refused two extension offers and who, as for Aouar, only has one year of contract left.

© 2022 AFP