Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta is keen on a move to the Premier League this summer has snubbed interest from Arsenal.
The North London giants have enjoyed a productive summer, making significant additions to a team which ran out of steam last term and narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.
The Gunners chief Edu has played a key role, along with head-coach Mikel Arteta, in securing the headline purchases of Man City duo, Gabriel Jesus and Aleksandr Zinchenko, as well as exciting Portugal Under-21 international Fabio Vieira from Portuguese giants, Porto.
Highly-rated stopper, Matt Turner and Brazilian wonderkid Marquinhos arrived earlier in the transfer window, however, both Arteta and Edu have hinted that the Gunners spending is far from over, while work needs to be done to offload a clutch of players who have been deemed surplus to requirements.
Paqueta has also been rumoured with the Gunners, however, Edu also downplayed his club’s interest in the 24-year-old versatile midfielder.
‘I’m very respectful when I talk about Lucas,’ Edu told TNT Sports Brazil. ‘I’m a guy who likes him a lot, I’ve always liked him, since my time with Brazil’s national team. He’s had a great season, he was considered the best [overseas] player in the French league.
‘But today, there really isn’t any kind of talk, there’s only my admiration for the player, because the squad today is, in the position he plays, I think we’re very well served in this regard.’
In any case, according to L’Equipe, Paqueta has little interest in joining Arsenal but would be interested in a move to City as a potential replacement for Bernardo Silva.
