NUFC can find their own Paqueta in deal for "glorious" £64m gem with "no weaknesses" - opinion

Newcastle United chief Dan Ashworth is now officially in his first summer transfer window as the club’s sporting director.

The Magpies supremo has already signed Matt Targett on a permanent deal after the left-back’s loan spell at St. James’ Park last season and he will now be looking to add fresh faces to Eddie Howe’s team.

One attacker linked with a switch to Tyneside is Leipzig talent Christopher Nkunku, who is also catching the attention of PSG, Manchester United and AC Milan and is reportedly valued at €75m (£64m).

By bringing Nkunku to St. James’ Park, Newcastle can land their own version of Lyon dynamo Lucas Paqueta – with a deal for the Ligue 1 gem seemingly off the cards.

Journalist Jacque Talbot claimed, earlier this month, that a deal for the Brazilian midfielder is “unlikely” due to his potential price and the Toon should now turn their attentions to the Leipzig star as his statistics show that he is worth paying a big fee for.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Paqueta managed nine goals and six assists in 35 Ligue 1 games for Lyon as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.13. This is an impressive return and one that makes him look like an excellent signing for the Magpies on paper, given that no Newcastle player hit those figures in the Premier League.

Nkunku, meanwhile, registered an outstanding 20 goals and 13 assists in the Bundesliga for Leipzig, averaging a rating of 7.59. This shows that he performed to a higher standard than Bruno Guimaraes’ former teammates in terms goals, assists, and all-round displays.

FB Ref lists them as similar players based on their statistics over the last 365 days, although the stats suggest that the Frenchman has the edge.

Both of them are capable of playing in a multitude of