Barely in Ligue 1, with only one success in five days and a disappointing 11th place in the standings, Olympique Lyonnais will be able to count on new blood to try to climb back up.
This Wednesday, the Rhone club recorded the arrival of Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima, better known under the name of Paqueta.
Arrived in Lyon in the afternoon to undergo his medical examination, the Brazilian midfielder, 23, has signed up for five seasons.
OL would have spent around 20 million euros to bring him from AC Milan.
Nicknamed Paqueta, in reference to an island north of Rio where he grew up, the Brazilian joins France with a good reputation behind him, even if it has crumbled somewhat in recent months.
When he arrived in Europe and Milan in January 2019, the former idol of Flamengo, where he made his professional debut in 2016, was presented as the new gold nugget.
Even Neymar was full of praise for his "friend".
“I know his qualities, and he's going to prove them to the world.
I'm sure he'll be a great player, ”the PSG star announced at the time.
Bem-vindo Lucas Paquetá!
🔴🔵 # Paqueta2025 pic.twitter.com/Sqxk3ttQO3
- Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) September 30, 2020
Leonardo, then sporting director of AC Milan, had not hesitated to pay 39 million euros (excluding bonus) to the Italian club to secure his services and offer the player a three-and-a-half-year contract.
A year and a half later, its market value has therefore been halved.
He lost his place with Brazil
And for good reason, since his debut in Lombardy in February 2019, Paqueta has never really succeeded in asserting himself and confirming the high expectations placed in him.
For his first season, he scored just one goal and delivered just two assists in sixteen Serie A and Italian Cup matches.
He did not do much better for the next one with only one assist in 27 games in all competitions.
He even lost his place in Seleção, where he has 11 caps.
While Tite summoned him almost automatically since the summer of 2018 after the World Cup in Russia, in which he did not participate, the Auriverde coach did not call him in his last list for the start of South American qualifying for the Cup of the world 2022, in October.
Renowned for his elegance and technique, the left-hander arrives in Lyon to bounce back and relaunch the formation of Rudi Garcia.
He will not be completely disoriented since he joins the big Brazilian colony of OL made up of Marcelo, Thiago Mendes, Jean Lucas and Bruno Guimarães.
