Brazilian international asks to leave club amid rumors of Arsenal interest

Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta is reportedly keen to leave the club this summer. The 24-year-old is the subject of interest from Arsenal, who are keen to bolster their squad to continue their improvement under Mikel Arteta.

According to L'Equipe (via Get French Football News), the Brazilian has informed Lyon of his desire to leave the club. The report suggests the French giants will be open to parting ways with the midfielder if they receive ' a sufficient bid'.

Lucas Paqueta joined Lyon from AC Milan for €20 million in 2020 on the back of two disappointing campaigns with the Italian giants. He enjoyed an impressive debut season with the Ligue 1 giants, scoring 10 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions.

The midfielder took his game to another level last season, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 44 appearances in all competitions. His consistent performances have caught the attention of Arsenal.

The Gunners enjoyed a promising 2021-22 campaign and showed signs of vast improvement under Mikel Arteta. The north London club were favorites to finish in the top four of the Premier League. But a massive slump in form during the end of the season resulted in them finishing fifth and thereby missing out on qualification for next season's Champions League.

Arsenal's lack of strength in depth and quality in key areas of the field such as attack and midfield, was seen as the main reasons behind their downfall. Mikel Arteta's side were left desperately short of attacking options after the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January and Alexandre Lacazette this summer.

They have signed Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira to bolster their attack. The club are seemingly in the market for a top-quality box-to-box midfielder who will partner Thomas Partey at the center of the park. Lucas Paqueta's eye for goal, creativity, and ability to play as a defensive and attacking midfielder and winger make him an ideal transfer target for Arsenal.

Arsenal need to part ways with some midfielders before they can make a move for Lucas Paqueta

Arsenal FC v Brighton & Hove Albion - Premier League

Mikel Arteta currently possesses a number of midfielders in his squad, including the likes of Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Lucas Torreira. Arsenal need to part ways with some fringe players to create space in the squad and raise the funds required to sign Lucas Paqueta.

Reiss Nelson enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Dutch club Feyenoord last season. He scored four goals in 32 appearances for the club and helped them reach the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League. The 22-year-old is likely to have caught the attention of a number of clubs thanks to his consistent performances.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles spent the second half of last season on loan with AS Roma, moving on from London after being starved of playing time during the first half of the campaign. The 24-year-old was unable to impress during his time in Italy. As per Football.london, Nottingham Forrest are interested in signing him this summer.

Lucas Torreira also enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Fiorentina last season. The Italian club opted against exercising their option to sign him permanently this summer. However, the midfielder's stock is likely to have risen in Italy, which could help him secure a move away from the Emirates Stadium.