What to expect from Brazilian rookie Lucas Paqueta at OL?

By joining OL, Lucas Paqueta also hopes to return to the Brazilian selection, with which he had notably been a scorer, during a friendly match against Panama in March 2019. -

• Major recruit of OL during this transfer window (20 million euros), the former Milanese Lucas Paqueta could be launched by Rudi Garcia on Sunday (1 p.m.) in Strasbourg.

• The 23-year-old Brazilian midfielder, who has 11 capes with the Seleçao, will have to recover after a more than mixed season and a half at AC Milan.

• 20 Minutes

  presents the journey of this versatile player, from his training club Flamengo to Lyon.

Seeing a young Brazilian player lose half of his market value in less than two years is as rare as it is intriguing.

Transferred to AC Milan for 39 million euros in January 2019 by a certain Leonardo, then sporting director of the Rossoneri, Lucas Paqueta is the flagship recruit of the transfer window of Lyon, for "only" 20 million euros.

After leaving him on the bench against OM (1-1), Rudi Garcia could well align him for the first time in Strasbourg on Sunday (1 p.m.).

At 23, the Brazilian attacking midfielder will try to revive after a very nuanced passage in Italy.

"The main problem is that he was presented as a crack when he arrived," says Enrico Curro of the newspaper

.

Considering the amount of the transfer, the tifosi of AC Milan imagined having the new Kaka.

“Colossal expectations to which the native of Rio de Janeiro will never really meet, like his meager statistical record, with only one goal and three assists in 44 games in Lombardy.

Lucas Paquetá is LYONNAIS!

🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/2DKdWZmy0K

- Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) September 30, 2020

"The pace of Serie A was really hard for him to grasp"

“His position at AC Milan has never been very clear,” slips Enrico Curro.

I think he is above all a playmaker, but he was only able to evolve a few games in this register with Marco Giampaolo in 2019. ”Because in a season and a half with the Rossoneri, Lucas Paqueta has experienced three coaches (Gattuso, Giampaolo and Pioli) without ever stabilizing.

"It's clear that everyone in Brazil thought he would play more there, even for a first European experience at 21," said Carlos Eduardo Mansur, journalist for

in Rio de Janeiro.

Already, he arrived in a struggling team.

He was used to having a lot of space in the Brazilian league and the pace of Serie A was really hard for him to apprehend.

He has not lost his talent but he must be more aggressive and focused to win in Europe, while avoiding his bad reactions which already won him boxes in Brazil.

"

Here scorer in December 2017 against the Argentines of Independiente, Lucas Paqueta has often thrilled the legendary Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, from 2017 to 2018. - Silvia Izquierdo / AP / SIPA

Eviction at the wrong time with AC Milan

At AC Milan, his nerves gave way at a key moment, four months after his arrival and in the middle of the final sprint to try to win a ticket for the Champions League [the club will finish 5th].

On May 6, 2019, after a moody gesture against the referee against Bologna (2-1), the left-hander found himself excluded and suspended for the last three Serie A meetings.

“The Milanese leaders reminded him of this episode when he attacked the following season, assures Enrico Curro, who saw the Brazilian's unease in Italy.

He looked depressed here.

He got along well with his partners but he did not have the leadership character that could have allowed him to win for good in this team.

"

Lucas Paqueta, who met the elbows of Lazio striker Ciro Immobile last year, suffered from the physical dimension and pace of Serie A. - Gregorio Borgia / AP / SIPA

"A profile for Lyon", praises Juninho

A failure in club which also cost him his place in the selection, where he has 11 caps (and two goals), including a last cap in November 2019. “Tite has not yet found the real replacement of Renauto Augusto [Beijing Guoan , no longer called since 2018] and it could be him, he has the talent, ”said Carlos Eduardo Mansur.

To achieve this, Lucas Paqueta will have to revive at OL, where Juninho was extremely complimentary during his presentation.

As soon as I saw him start his career, I thought it was a profile for Lyon.

He is a very versatile technical left-handed midfielder.

I am very happy with his coming and I have confidence in his success with us.

He's a smart boy who likes to work.

Now it's up to him to give everything and settle down as quickly as possible.

"

Our sporting director, @ Juninhope08, spoke about the qualities of Lucas Paquetá!

💪🔴🔵 # Paqueta2025 pic.twitter.com/Dg6UOpXX3r

- Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) October 1, 2020

"He was not seen in Brazil as the new Neymar"

History to confirm the promises interviews with his training club Flamengo (13 goals in 65 games) which had allowed him to catch Leonardo's eye.

“Be careful, contrary to what I can read, he was not seen in Brazil as the new Neymar,” said Carlos Eduardo Mansur.

He was sold too quickly, after not even two full seasons, to have time to become an idol in the eyes of Flamengo supporters.

But in 2018, as a left midfielder in a 4-3-3, he showed a lot of qualities.

"

Alongside his compatriot Bruno Guimaraes or even Jean Lucas [with whom he played in 2018 at Flamengo], will he quickly allow OL to reconnect with its tradition of performing Brazilians in the 2000s (Anderson, Juninho, Cris, Caçapa, Fred)?

"In any case, I think that for 20 million euros, it is a well-felt investment on the part of Lyon", insists Carlos Eduardo Mansur.

A few minutes after our telephone conversation, the journalist from

still sent us a message: “I forgot to tell you how much I loved Caqueret.

Between Aouar and him, it will be hard for Paqueta to find his place in this team ”.

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