Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta has made a trip to Tyneside amid rumours of a move to Newcastle United in the summer.
The Brazilian has been linked with a move to the Magpies in the upcoming transfer window, which would be an identical switch to the move that his compatriot Bruno Guimaraes made back in January.
The two remain good friends, and Paqueta and his girlfriend have met up with his former teammate in the North East of England in recent days to celebrate the birthday of Guimaraes's partner.
Following the transfer rumours though, such a trip has intensified speculation over the 24-year-old's future at Lyon, with Guimaraes openly stating in recent weeks that he would try and persuade his friend to follow him to the Premier League.
Paqueta has scored nine goals and registered six assists in 35 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, and has three years remaining on the five-year deal signed when joining Les Gones for around £17.8m from AC Milan in September 2020.
Meanwhile, Guimaraes has enjoyed an impressive start to life at St James' Park, scoring five goals and registering one assist in 16 Premier League appearances since his January move, including Newcastle's second goal in the 2-0 win over Arsenal on Monday.
Matthew Tranter
