There is nothing that quite perks the interest of the Mill and its followers quite like a £35m Brazilian that you’ve never heard of. But despite the fact that Lucas Paquetá was recently called up by Tite for the Seleção’s recent international friendlies, unless you’re Jorge Mendes or a nerdy scout of Shakhtar Donetsk, you probably don’t recognise Flamengo’s 21-year-old.
In previous years, it would have taken a while to have coaxed Brazil’s next big thing over the Atlantic, with Europe’s elite reluctant to show their hand too early. It took years for Neymar (and Ganso) to arrive. Not so now. Thirty-five million is cheap, reader! That’s why Manchester United have joined Barcelona, PSG, and Milan at the front of the queue, with the Parisian club already believed to have held talks.
Ivan Gazidis hasn’t even left Arsenal yet – he is set to become Milan new chief suit on 1 December – but he is already plotting a January move for Aaron Ramsey, if reports in Italy are to be believed. Ramsey is out of contract next summer and playing the Will He/Won’t He Game very well, thank you very much, before he inevitably signs an outrageous bumper new deal around Christmas.
After Keita Baldé came off the bench to help Inter beat Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday night, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he tried and failed to sign the Senegalese forward. “Yes, it’s true,” said the Argentinian. “I’ve been following him since he grew up in Barcelona while I was at Espanyol. He is a player with an interesting profile for us, I wanted him but then he chose Monaco. But he remains an excellent striker.”
Six goals in eight games in the Championship this season – including two in the 4-2 win over Bristol City on Tuesday – means that when West Brom received Burnley’s latest £13m bid for Jay Rodriguez, which they threw straight in the bin.
In more breaking suit news, Tony Blair - yes, that one – has reportedly held informal talks to become the new chairman of the Premier League. That seems like a good place to end today’s Mill.
