Tottenham Hotspur have been given a green light in their pursuit of Lucas Paqueta...

What's the word?

ESPN Brazil reported of Spurs' interest in the Lyon attacking midfielder earlier this month, also naming the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City as other teams keen.

It's thought that the Ligue 1 outfit had slapped a £55m asking price on his signature, a fee that would equal the Lilywhites' club record, but now according to some reports, that has been lowered to around £34m.

French outlet Media Foot claims that the Brazil international is primed to leave Lyon this summer and is now available for €40m (£34m).

Asking price boost

With Spurs believed to be in the market for a new 'playmaker', it would make sense for sporting director Fabio Paratici to launch an offence for the OL star now that they have been given a big boost as he could add that dimension to Antonio Conte's engine room.

Paqueta is capable of providing goals and assists from deep, having racked up 18 goal contributions across 43 appearances last season, whilst primarily playing as a no.10 or centre-forward, as per Transfermarkt.

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When you compare his figures to his positional peers across Europe, the Brazilian maestro quickly emerges as one of the best in his role.

He ranks inside the top 1% for goals (0.3), shots (3.06), shots on target (1.07) and through balls (0.41) per 90, as well as the top 2% for expected assists (0.25) and shot-creating actions (3.99) per 90, via FBref.

It's no wonder that he has been lauded as "extraordinary" by his Lyon boss Peter Bosz.

Only Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, both of whom are forwards, matched or bettered Paqueta's numbers last term, which only goes to show just how much of a threat he is in the final third.

For just £34m, the 6-foot playmaker could be the final piece of the puzzle in Conte and Paratici's summer spending spree. If a new creative outlet is indeed on the agenda, then they should look no further than Paqueta at that price.

He must become their seventh signing of the summer.

AND in other news, Paratici in Milan: Spurs now eyeing "explosive" £34m maestro, Conte would love him...