Earlier today, we carried a report from Sport, who claimed that Manchester United are the ‘last club’ to join the race for Lucas Paqueta and have submitted a €40m bid for Flamengo’s star.
It was also mentioned that Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Manchester City are also interested in the attacking midfielder.
The same publication now claims the 21-year-old has already decided to leave his current employer and make a switch to Europe in January, which also coincides with the end of the league season in his country.
Ernesto Valverde’s side have decided to pull away from signing the Brazilian. After monitoring the player, the people who make sporting decisions at the Camp Nou have reached a conclusion that he still needs time to progress before such a big change.
The other reason is that Barcelona do not have any vacant non-EU spots in the squad as all three positions are taken by summer additions Arthur, Malcom and Arturo Vidal. In addition to this, none of these players will be eligible to obtain EU passport anytime soon.
Barcelona’s decision to end the interest in Paqueta should come as a welcome boost for other potential suitors.
